Celebrating 31 Women For Their #BlackMomMagic This Mother's Day

"Everyone believes that they have the most amazing mom, and they should but I know for a fact that my mom is the most amazing person with #BlackMomMagic. My mom, Edith Sinclair-Morris, is the most selfless, caring, giving women in the world. Despite being two years into a serious battle of pancreatic cancer, undergoing chemo treatments twice a month, my mother has never missed a step all with a smile on her face. She works tirelessly for her church, serves on several committees for her city and takes care of an elderly uncle. This is in addition to providing childcare for her two-year-old grandson four days a week. She makes time to attend all of her grandchildren's activities and still manages to stay in touch with her friends. Her strong faith and unending love is what keeps our family together." - Chandra Dean

"My mom has been amazing. Even when we butt heads or she doesn't fully get everything about me she's always been there and supportive. When I was a teenager I was bullied and developed depression and anxiety. While most people said to pray it away, my mom was my biggest advocate at getting help and good medical professionals and trying to make the school accountable for not doing the best for bullying. Even now, she knows she has a really geeky daughter who is weird and artsy while she is the most logical science person I know and she's always supportive and tries to be understanding."
-Ashlee Doris

"My name is Karen Renata Brawner. And this is my sweet lil' mama Willie Carolyn Kaufman. We reside in Derby City, Louisville, Kentucky. She is a classically trained pianist, retired teacher and retired church organist who named me after the opera singer Renata Tibaldi. While I was growing up, she worked three jobs to put me through private school. She was an excellent single mom who taught me well and left a 40-year legacy in our church that will long be remembered for honesty, integrity and devotion to sound doctrine in music. My mom had a stroke in February 2015 that she has not fully recovered from and now our roles have reversed which has been new, interesting and often hard for me, but I LOVE my mother with everything that I have and because of who she was the three daughters that I have, have been brought up to love, honor, cherish, and respect just as I was. Her legacy, in us, and for generations will always live on. My mother worked tirelessly to always teach me there is a better way, to take the high road, and to keep God first. She epitomizes #BlackMomMagic." - Karen Renata Brawner

"Anne Jest is my best friend in the entire world. She exemplifies #blackmommagic because she inspires and pushes me to show the world how great I am. I would not be the person I am today without the unconditional love of my mom. She goes along with my crazy ideas, and supports me through any and everything. We completed our first half marathon together last year in San Francisco. I wouldn't want to cross the finish line with anyone else." - Allie Jest

"My mother came to Canada as a young adult in the 1980s amidst the Grenadian revolution. A few years later she had me, and raised me to be a strong black girl who knew about her Grenadian roots. My mother is #BlackMotherMagic because from a young age, she taught me about the spirit of carnival. It was more than just dressing up in costume. It was also about loving and being proud of our Caribbean culture, celebrating our achievements as West Indians, being body positive, celebrating feminine freedom and loving my black skin. I was born during the Grenadian carnival season, so I was probably always destined to be a carnival baby, but I am so incredibly grateful to my mother for keeping Grenadian-creole and culture alive in my family, and alive in me." - Samantha Peters

"I think my mother exemplifies #BlackMomMagic because of her strength and the ability to rise above difficult circumstances all the while being stunning. My mother was an immigrant to this country and raised two girls alone in one of the toughest cities on earth, New York City. My sister and I could have ended up statistics, in fact we were expected to, but my mother had a dream in her heart for us. She dreamed my sister would one day become a doctor and I would be a lawyer. While in fact my sister today is a physician practicing at Sloan Kettering, I did not become a lawyer, but rather a Tech Public Relations Exec. Growing up we had lean days, but my household was always filled with the warmth of love, my mother’s love. My mother has this uncanny ability to make any place she’s present, warm. Her magic comes from her resilience, power and beauty. She has passed on her magic to us and for that I am forever grateful." - Jeanette Lewis

"I never realized until I became a mother, just how incredibly selfless and how significant, my mother has been in helping me to become the woman I am today. I now understand and appreciate the sacrifices she made, including leaving Trinidad in 1956, to come to the United States with my father in search of a better life while leaving her family, friends and the land of her birth behind. The years she worked tirelessly anywhere she could including selling records door-to-door to support my father while he attended undergraduate and medical school. The heart wrenching day in 1960, when she realized that she could not support or afford food for her infant daughter (me), and gave me to my aunt, who was traveling back to Trinidad, so that my maternal grandmother living in San Fernando could care for me. She came back for me, five years later and since then, I know she has done her very best at being my mom. It's funny how we take things for granted and often forget to acknowledge our mothers the other 364 days of the year. As the mother of a 23 year old daughter, I now recognize and believe that motherhood is more than making a meal, driving a carpool or checking homework. It is lifelong commitment filled with joy, heartache, gratitude and sacrifice. Thank you, mommy, for 55 years of doing the best you could for me with what you had. I finally value just what motherhood means and why you are the epitome of 'Black Mom Magic.'" - Wendy Yuille

"My mom, Sola Ajao, is the epitome of #BlackMomMagic. She has shown me what bodacious love looks like and she gives me ceaseless joy. She is crazy about family and literally makes herself sick taking care of her four children. As a minister's wife she is the mother of the church. A truly God-fearing woman. She is magical because she could not afford to go to college but has her own successful business that funded my soon-to-be college degree. She sacrificed her dreams to give my siblings, cousins and nephews the resources and opportunities to succeed. Sola is magical because she's been very supportive of my black liberation work. Nobody is perfect. Yet, if perfection was attainable, she'd be it! I love my mom, my linda, my honey!" - Adebukola Ajao

"Mom has signed up over 8,000 people for organ donation motivated by the almost 60 percent of minorities waiting for the gift of life and that's just the beginning of the story of Roxanne Watson. Nobody does it better." - Kellen Wingate

"My name is Raina and my mom, Danette is the definition of #BlackMomMagic because she raised three kids by herself and then went back to college. I'm her youngest and we graduated on the same day, from the same university! She's always been an inspiration to me; she never stops fighting for her goals! My mom showed me #BlackGirlMagic long before hashtags were a thing. I've grown up watching her unapologetically live in her magic and I'm honored to call her mom." - Raina Johnson

"This is Erika Hilliard. My rock, my cheerleader, my principal, my friend, my advisor and most importantly my mom. This woman exemplifies #blackmommagic because she is just that! She is an army veteran wife, entrepreneur (owner of two businesses) and mother of three. She has always pushed us, and especially me being the oldest, to set the example and go for the things that are important. She is strong, unapologetic in her truth and a strong black woman and by living her life that way, she has transferred those ideals to me, literally spreading her #blackmommagic. I love that woman! She deserves everything and more!" - Leilani Hardman

"My mother is strong, beautiful, opinionated, hardworking and the epitome of a classy southern belle. She has always pushed me to follow my dreams. She told me daily that 'I could do anything I put my mind to' -- and I believed her. Now, as a mother myself, I appreciate her even more, and I will instill in my daughter all the lessons she taught me which she was taught by her mother. My mom is #BlackMomMagic, and everything I know about womanhood and motherhood is because of her unwavering love, support and dedication to ensuring I was always happy." - Shonitria Anthony, Voices News Editor

"I love my mother for her effortless style and endless amount of love and wisdom through the years. I’m forever in debt to her for instilling the values and principles of being a man of honor. Because of her, I will always please, provide, and protect for a woman. LOVE, ALWAYS & FOREVER." - Brennan Williams, Pop Culture Editor

"My mother has been the single most inspirational person in my life. I watched her go back to school at age 36 to earn three college degrees and even today she continues to amaze me. She is an unstoppable woman who is fueled by faith and virtue. She continues to encourage me at 33, just as she did while raising me as a single mom. I salute her for her love, bravery and bountiful courage to keep moving even when the odds are stacked up against her. I love you mom. There is no greater human, than the one that gave me life... she is the greatest teacher I have ever known." - Fawntain Casimir Spencer

"My mom is the BEST example of black mom magic because she has shown me and my sister what true sacrifice is without complaining. She came to America and started working to make sure that we as a family had
everything we could ever ask for and want. She never went back to Ethiopia even for a vacation since landing in America but made sure that the rest of the family had that opportunity. She has the sense of humor of your best girlfriend with the nurturing and caring side that
only a mother could provide. I don’t know if myself or my sister can sacrifice the way she has for us. Twenty plus years of working nonstop for the sake of her family, opening a successful business and working
herself tired along with my dad to make sure that we succeed and never need for anything. What makes her the best is the fact that my greatest memories are not about material things, but about the talks during cuddle sessions. As Tupac said in 'Dear Mama': 'I gotta thank the
Lord that you made me, There are no words that can express how I feel, You never kept a secret, always stayed real, And I appreciate, how you raised me, And all the extra love that you gave me.' WE love you
Senday Geberu!!!!! WE DONT KNOW WHAT WE DID TO DESERVE YOU <3" - Hiwot
Terefe and Rahwa Terefe

"My mom rains #BlackMomMagic because she is strong, charismatic, beautiful and has THE BEST sense of humor. Growing up I never realized what a huge feat it was to raise three young children as a single mother. She was the queen of improvising and always knew how to have fun with what we had. And now I find myself demonstrating a similar resourcefulness -- which has taken me a long way. I am so grateful for all the sacrifices she made for me over the years -- those sacrifices taught me my best lessons in what it really means to work hard. As a first-generation American, I also appreciate that my mother raised me to understand and value our West Indian heritage. My mom continues to exemplify #BlackMomMagic because she is learning a new language and is always picking up hobbies or finding ways to get involved in her community. My #1 shero!" - Simone Shorter

"My mother is absolutely #BlackMomMagic because she is simply amazing. Fleeing war-torn Angola as a refugee to the Netherlands with two young children (ages eight and one) and pregnant with twins, she managed to keep holding on for nearly 14 years until we got a residence permit. She is our rock, our confidant, are protector and loving mother. The fact that I'm now doing a PhD and focusing on human rights and women is mostly because of her. I am proud of that she is, and although she couldn't fulfill all her dreams, she made sure her four daughters kept dreaming. Isabel Lúcia Lemos, you are truly BlackMomMagic." - Lúcia Kula

"Virginia Douglas, mother of three boys she brought to Canada from the island of Trinidad. She raised us on her own, which meant coming to basketball games, football games, track tournaments and piano recitals. How she did all of that for each of us while working 12 hour shifts as a nurse I'll never know. How she continues to be present for her three granddaughters and new born grandson, I guess I'll never know that either. The only conclusion I can come up with is that she really does have some kind of #BlackMomMagic. And now that she is retired after 40 years of working, I'm hoping she uses some of that magic on herself. She deserves it more than anyone." - Kern Carter

"She sees me coming through the door and jumps to her feet. She smiles, tosses her head back, opens her arms wide and says, 'Hi Baby!' Her magical eyes scan my clothes, hair, shoes and make up. 'You're looking sharp. Michelle-Obama-Jacquelyn-Kennedy sharp!' That was her highest compliment. An artist, poet and school teacher, my mother Florence came from a culture of dressing to impress and speaking what she called the King's English. You did not break verbs and mix up personal pronouns in the home of an English Lit major! It was because of her riding me about language and spelling that I would go on to write 5 books and win numerous awards for my journalistic articles and fiction. Thank you Mommy!" - TaShia Asanti

"My mother (pictured in the middle) is my queen, my best friend, my guiding light and my biggest supporter. As an immigrant from Ethiopia, my mother has made countless sacrifices to provide me and my family with the best life possible. She has always put God and family first -- and my sister (pictured on the right) and I work hard each day to make her proud. My mother's heart is warm, her smile is big and her love is never-ending. I go to her in times of hurt to help me heal and in times of happiness to embrace her joy. She is the strongest woman I know and I hope to be like her in every way. My mother is my everything and she exudes #BlackMomMagic through her every act of love, strength and kindness. We love you, mommy! Keep shining, my sunshine." - Lilly Workneh, Black Voices Senior Editor

"My mother, Violet King, was absolutely a magical mom. She was the first Black woman lawyer *ever* in all of Canada. She was both the first black person, and the first woman of any race, to hold her most senior position on the YMCA National Board. And yet she was also a single mom who was so present, and never felt absent. She was an advocate for social justice through her work with the Y and legal work, yet she was also an advocate for justice in every day dealings with folks at all levels of organizations, most especially the front line workers, secretaries, custodians and, absolutely, the youth. She encouraged me to be whoever I was meant to be, and supported the development both of all the regular 'markers of success' in me (good grades, quality friends), but also fostered a highly unusual sense of independence in me at a young age. Many would later say that this was because somehow she knew she would leave me early, as she died when I was 16. But she is still my spine, my guide, my role model and the most amazing mom ever, and now I, myself, have a law degree, a masters degree, I've worked in leadership in environmental law, child welfare and public education, and I have an amazing family myself. Violet King is indeed a Magical Black Mom. And for her I will be forever grateful, I couldn't have asked for a better mom." - Joanne Henry-Bent

"My mother Adeshola Oloyede is my hero. Not only because she gives me answers, provides guidance, pours out prayers, and is endless in her support, but because she literally saves me everyday with her truth. She is the strongest person I know and never ceases to amaze me with her intellect, her beauty, and her wisdom. She will give me her last and offer me her first. She prays for me night and day. I love her from here to the moon and back. Happy Mother's Day." - Michael Oloyede

"This is my aunt Pat. She may not be my biological mother, but she exemplifies Black Mom Magic because despite the death of her son when he was only in his 20s and the death of her husband not too long after, she carries on.

She has taught me the true meaning of strength. It's not about being hard, but accepting the tragedies that come and loving inspite of them, in finding quiet peace and happiness no matter what life brings.

She is afraid of heights so for her birthday she took herself to the Grand Canyon and walked out onto the sky bridge, and dyed her hair and pierced her ears for the first time. She finds small adventures, like taking up kayaking and continuing despite flipping her kayak in a pond. I admire her more than she will ever know." - Kai Hazelwood

"I am honored and beyond grateful to call Ms. Elizabeth Taylor my mother. She is my lucky charm and my best friend. My mother exemplifies Black Mom Magic because she is the ultimate magician in a world that is hell bent on devaluing her enchantment. I've watched in awe as she literally made 'something out of nothing' for my siblings and I growing up. I've witnessed her conjure spells of strength, protection, and love over little black bodies that would rival any incantation summoned at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She has instilled in me compassion for a world that hated me before I was born. She has taught me to be strong in a world that would rather see me on my knees than standing on my own two feet. She has taught me to have a voice in that same world, that more often times than not, doesn't want to hear me speak. I have seen the world throw every imaginable obstacle at her feet and not one single time have I ever witnessed her defeat. Her beauty is in the scars that she bares that no one can see. Her beauty is in her voice when she is speaking to me. She is the most beautiful creature that I have ever seen because her love moved mountains and oceans for me. The sacrifices she has made for our family are a sash across her chest. The legacy of her strength beats beneath my breast. Her presence is a blessing to all those who meet her. Her magic is undeniable in her selflessness for people. She is hope personified because she has weathered the storms and never gave up. Her magic is in me. Her magic is enough." - Andrea Cole

"My wonderful mother, Mary Louise King, was born in 1928 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Despite losing her parents at a young age and growing up at a time when the odds of a Black young woman earning a college degree and building a career were very small, mom accomplished both of those goals. After graduating from Hampton University and becoming an elementary school teacher, mom and dad were married. Through her education and love for children, mom overcame the oppression and negative expectations of the pre-civil rights deep South to become a teacher who shaped countless young lives. Mom has maintained an ongoing loving marriage with our father for the last 66 years. They raised four children and sadly helped us mourn the loss of our eldest sister. Mom is also a breast cancer survivor and has managed the challenges of living with diabetes for the last twenty years or more. All of the many ways that my mother at 88 years of age continues to demonstrate how to live with pride and resilience exemplifies the concept of #BlackMomMagic." - Georgette King

"Kim English, my mother, raised me to never be afraid to dream big. I watched my mother survive domestic violence, go back to school to obtain her bachelor's and master's degrees and create her own non-profit to be a resource to others in need. My mommy's #BlackMomMagic taught me to be unapologetically Christian and never be ashamed to take a leap of faith, no matter how unsure I was of the outcomes. I watched my mother struggle to take care of me for years and she never complained. She never made me feel like I was a burden. She's taken care of others for so long and always puts herself second. My mommy has become my best friend and I couldn't thank God enough for lending her to me here on Earth." - Khallilah Beecham-Watkins

"My mother always has always told me to follow my dreams and work hard for what I want. There was never time for excuses in because I knew what I was destined to do. My mother is magical because she cares, she loves, she fights for our family and the older I get the more I appreciate what she's done for me." - Alexa Johnson

"My mom, Valerie Green, exemplifies #BlackMomMagic because not only has she been the source of inspiration in her own four kids lives but I've had the privilege to see first hand how she has significantly impacted the lives of the young girls that she mentors in a way that only a magical human being can. She has taken students in during difficult times, helped them achieve their goals and traveled 10 hours to watch them walk in their high school graduation because she made a promise when they were freshman that she would be there. Not to mention, she just walked in her own graduation last weekend receiving her Master's in Eduction." - Jenae Green

"My mom, San, exemplifies #blackmommagic because she has always been my rock... supporting me through my ups and downs, showing me how to be a more selfless person, and illustrating strength. I am a strong black woman because of her. As a single mother, I know it wasn't easy raising me and my brother at the age of 24 but she did. That is a STRONG WOMAN. And honestly, I don't know where I would be today without her. I am who I am because of my mom. She is my best friend and my heart. I love you forever and I am also striving to make you proud mom! Happy Mother's Day!!!" - Chiana Johnson

"When measuring the great lengths of my mother’s parenting/#BlackMomMagic, anyone would agree that it draws countless parallels to the life of any one of your favorite superheroes. Growing up I watched her tackle bills, loss and illness with a sense of overwhelming grace that most are only fortunate enough to read about in story books or Bible passages... In the richness of her love I wanted for nothing. She sent four of her five kids to college off the wealth of her faith in Christ alone. And even as adults, she selflessly fulfills the adage that a parents job is never finished. The "let me cook you something to eat" even though she couldn't muster up an appetite after months of chemotherapy from battling with Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer kind of selflessness. Or the “let me buy my grandson a new toy” on her own birthday kind of love. This is a love that is remnant of my grandmother, Doris Inniss’ own #BlackMomMagic and fairy dust. I can only dream to achieve a sparkle of their #BlackMomMagic." - Valerie Inniss

"Since we were kids, you've consistently sent Tony and I off into the world with an indelible phrase, full of hope: 'Don't forget to say a prayer.' It's what got me through those long basketball seasons, through both of my degrees and, to this day and beyond, through life. Simply replaying your words in my head instantly absolve me of worry and doubt. You give me so much joy, so much power, so much strength. You've sacrificed immensely and I'm forever indebted to you for molding me into the woman I am today. Happy Mother's Day!" - Taryn Finley, Black Voices Associate Editor