DBM Ep 67: Noncustodial Parenting & Black Motherhood with Erica M. Freeman

Dear Mama,  What if I told you Black mamas aren't superheroes, that the cape is choking us, and our backs are brittle?  What if I told you motherhood ain't killing us, though, but the narratives we buy into hook, line, and sinker are? What if you had the option not to be the primary custodial parent?  Would you decline out of obligation to the belief that a good Black mama would never choose to leave their children in the care of others, even the other parent?  How does a Black mother respond when what's best for her or her destiny clashes with cultural norms?   In this Mother's Day episode, we speak with Erica Michelle Freeman of Sisters In Loss Podcast about the complexities and challenges of non-custodial parenting and Black motherhood. When Erica and her husband decided to divorce, they also agreed to shared custody.  Each parent would have primary custody for 3 years of their son Maxwell who was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy 10 years ago. We dive into: ✨Confronting societal norms and cultural stigmas ✨Navigating health and care decisions for children with special needs as a noncustodial parent ✨Historical trauma and Black motherhood ✨Renegotiating Black motherhood PLUS - Crystal and perimenopause are NOT friends, especially under the current administration, and Thea is in search of Jill Stein.  In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas, and the saying we're twisting this episode is "Oh, you got time for dat." ABOUT ERICA M. FREEMAN Erica M. Freeman is the Founder and CEO of Sisters in Loss, is a savvy, creative engineer, known for her results-based, no-fluff approach as a podcaster, grief educator, and motivational speaker. Sisters in Loss provides pregnancy, birth, postpartum, bereavement doula, and grief services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear and into trust and peace after loss.  Its self-titled award-winning podcast spotlights resilient Black mothers who share  intimate details of their journey to motherhood through painful, but inspirational loss and infertility stories.  Sisters in Loss has been featured in Forbes, BBC News, Black Enterprise, Women's Health, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and The White House.  Connect with Erica M. Freeman: Instagram | Website IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: Black Mama Creative Week: June 24th - June 30th Sign Up for our email list for details. 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #8 "Share Your Inspiration" 💗 Episode Playlist:  Black Mama Magic Playlist EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 56: Menopause, Black Women & Spiritual Ritual with Omisade Burney Scott  🎙️DBM Ep 33: Haitian American Mama w/ Stepha LaFond  ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: BluSky | Instagram | Patreon | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com