Mother's Day
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Janice L. Mathis janicelmathis@ncnw.org
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5/6/21
8:55 PM
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As sometimes happens
when the two of us engage in casual conversation, we indulge in the sweet treat
of reminiscing about Mary Frances Lewis Betsch and Kittie Mae Avery Mathis, the
women who “raised us up.” Like most Black mothers, they were prone to
certain common sense “sayings”. Mary Frances Lewis Betsch was known to remark to
teen-aged Johnnetta Betsch Cole, “a woman is known by the company she
keeps.” And Kittie Mae Avery Mathis would quip, “if you act as well as
you look you will be alright.” These admonitions were administered to us
with a sprinkling of irony and wry humor.
No doubt, if you are a
Black woman, you have heard or used these or similar sayings yourself because
they are deeply rooted in African tradition. The poet Maya Angelou
described them as “mother wit”, the “collective wisdom of generations.”
The first African women who came to these shores 402 years ago brought with
them a treasure trove of common sense that has been a source of strength and
endurance in our quest to survive as a people.
Now you must
understand that “mother wit” is practiced by mothers, but also by grandmothers,
aunts, cousins and ”play mamas” whether they have birthed children or simply
and lovingly cared for them. Today, we think about not just our own mothers
but mothers across space and time who have an irrepressible commitment to
taking care of their children, other folk's children, partners and husbands, if
they have one. And then there is all that other business we take care of that
has to do with earning a living and calling for and working in the interest of
the rights of our people – indeed of all people.
What we think of today
as Black Girl Magic is not really magic at all, but is the stored up wisdom of
hundreds of years of experience and common sense distilled from determination,
love and toil and sacrifice and devotion. Our fondest desire is that
every little girl and boy and every grownup person would have their own
generous portion of “mother wit.” There is an African proverb that says this: "A mother is
like a kernel, crushed by problems but strong enough to overcome them."
Today, and throughout the year, we salute the mothers and all of the
women in NCNW, in our communities, in our nation and our world who have
the tenacity, the wisdom, and the faith not to be crushed by problems, but to
overcome them.
Johnnetta Betsch Cole,
Ph.D., President and National Chair
and
Janice L. Mathis, Esq.
Executive Director
The National Council
of Negro Women, Inc.
633 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004
Office: (202)
737-0120 Direct: (202) 383-9155
Cell:
(404) 394-1500
