Thursday, May 6, 2021


 

Mother's Day


Janice L. Mathis janicelmathis@ncnw.org

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

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