Black History Month 2022

Black mothers and caretakers always make history. At New Moms and Bright Endeavors, we constantly witness goal attainment and milestone achievements. Throughout #BlackHistoryMonth we will be sharing some past history makers along with some current and future ones.

Week One:

Philycia | Team Lead at Bright Endeavors

Tell us about a milestone you are proud of accomplishing and why:

“One goal that I am proud of is not spending money on unnecessary things such as eating out a lot, driving places that I don’t necessarily need to go. I am proud of this because I used to spend a lot of money on things and not have enough money for the following week. Now, I can say that since I have learned self control and really separated my wants from my needs, I save about $50 more a week. It might not be much but it is a start and I plan on being able to save more than $50 per week.”

Dr. Mayme Clayton | Librarian, Collector, & Historian

“Children should know that Black people have done great things.” Dr. Clayton – a mother of three sons (Avery, Lloyd, and Renai) – believed preserving and sharing the often neglected history of African Americans was vital for current and future generations. She dedicated 40 years of her life to preserving Black History by collecting literature, documents, photographs, films, rare books, and other artifacts. Her personal collection eventually became the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum (MCLM).

Week Two:

Janiya | Team Lead at Bright Endeavors

Tell us about a milestone you are proud of accomplishing and why:

“I’m proud of running into lifetime mentors. I’ve been actually setting goals and sticking to it. You can do anything you put your mind to, and I’m saying that with so much confidence! You have to see potential in yourself before anybody could. When you be yourself, everything will eventually fall in place. My everything has grown since I’ve been at New Moms honestly. I want to thank every woman that helped. It really helped, and I’m using these skills for life and I’m also passing them onto others.”

Nina Simone | Singer & Activist

“My job is to make [Black people] more curious about where they came from and their own identity and pride in that identity.” Nina Simone is an icon of American music. She blended musical genres – jazz, blues, spirituals, pop, soul, and folk music – to become one of the most respected artists of the 20th century. After the 16th Street Bombing, which killed four young Black girls in 1963, her music shifted expressly to demand equality for Black Americans. Simone was also the mother of talented singer Lisa Simone Kelly.

Week Three:

Daja | Team Lead at Bright Endeavors

Tell us about a milestone you are proud of accomplishing and why:

“I am the intelligent, smart, bright young woman I am today with the help of my son and peaceful surroundings. Ever since I started working at Bright Endeavors, it has been nothing but non-stop love. Ms. Cathy and Mrs. Natisha are like guardian angels to me. Without their help I would be so lost, so I love them dearly and I appreciate them in every way. My coworkers have shown me a lot as well. We have created this safe space for one another where we can hang out, talk, laugh. It’s such a beautiful energy and vibe.

As we follow into Black History Month, let’s remember all the intellectual, intelligent, gorgeous, Black women that helped raise us, guide us, mold us into who we are today. We as a unit of Black moms raising our daughters and sons to grow up and appreciate the skin we are in, the minds we have taught, the manners we have equipped, the words we have digested into our children to become bigger and better than what we are. As we stand beside them all, be proud because the future started with us.”

Sojourner Truth | Abolitionist, Activist, & Suffragist

Sojourner Truth was an abolitionist and activist for women’s rights. She was born into enslavement but escaped with her daughter in 1826. Truth was the mother of five – James, Diana, Peter, Elizabeth, and Sophia – and the first Black woman to win a court case in the US when she fought for her son’s freedom. At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention, Truth delivered one of the most famous abolitionists and women’s rights speeches in American history, “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Week Four:

Tracy | New Moms Alumni & Outreach Specialist

Tell us about a milestone you are proud of accomplishing and why:

“A milestone I accomplished that I’m proud of is starting school and a new, better-paying job that I actually enjoy at the same time. Plus being able to manage both while being a mom of two. I’m gaining more responsibility and learning how to balance them. What really made me proud is the transitioning – how it only took a couple of months to fall into place. It was always something I wanted, and to see how it took off fast made me feel very capable of doing anything.”

Katherine Johnson | Mathematician & NASA scientist

Katherine Johnson was a mathematician whose work at NASA was critical to the success of the US’s space program in the 1960s. She was one of the first Black women to work as a scientist at NASA and literally “wrote the book” on rocket science when she co-authored one of the first textbooks on space while working at NASA. Johnson was eventually awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2015 for her work. Johnson had three children, six grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren and encouraged them to work in science and technology.

Moms are making history every day. Show your support by purchasing candles from Bright Endeavors or donating to New Moms.

#BlackHistoryMonth

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Posted on January 31, 2022