Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What responsibilities does a mother have toward her children? Must she love them? Like them? Must she give them life? Prepare them for death? Must she give them joy? Or protection? Must she feed, clothe, and shelter them? How might these responsibilities be affected by race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status?

Teaching Suggestion: It might be helpful to provide students with an open mind diagram (an outline of a human head with space to write inside) and ask them to fill it with words and images related to motherhood. Then, pose the questions about motherhood and responsibility. Students may make changes or additions to their diagrams during the discussion. This exploration will prepare students to trace the theme Family, Community, and the Burden of Legacies.

• “The Persistent Joy of Black Mothers” by Leah Wright Rigueur proposes a version of Black motherhood that contradicts common stereotypes. (Subscription may be needed to view.)
• “As a Black Mother, My Parenting Is Always Political” by Dani McClain discusses the realities of Black motherhood.