The 2021 Black History Month theme is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.” Follow along as Pastor Jimeka Jones Setzer, who serves on the Lincoln Theatre campus Pastoral Leadership + Pastoral Care team, unpacks her journey through motherhood and faith.

 

There are articles and books and videos that teach parents practical, tangible ways to prepare their children to be global citizens. While admiring and adopting these tools into my personal parental toolkit, Black Motherhood requires me to go beyond the shared experiences of motherhood, and dig deeper into the intangible wisdom found in firsthand accounts and stories of sustainability from my foremothers and forefathers.

These personal narratives are tucked away in the lyrics of African American hymns like “We’ve Come This Far by Faith” written by Albert A. Goodson in 1956 and “How I Got Over” written by W. Herbert Brewster in 1951. Old Negro Spirituals also tell the story. Songs like “Pass Me Not” written by Fanny Crosby in 1868 and “Were You There?” published in 1899, believed to be written by an enslaved African. The resilience and hope, despair and uncertainty, wisdom and insight are conveyed through the movement of the music.

Yet, in the 21 st century, I am faced with many of the same obstacles my grandparents and great-grandparents confronted as they reared children in peculiar times. Rebecca Epstein and Toella Pliakas name these challenges as "racial and gender bias that dehumanize Black children" including the “adultification bias against Black girls.” Simply put, the desire for little brown bodies to return home safely continues. Learning from their example, my Black Motherhood experience is reflected in four themes.

 

1. Community Is Everything

“I will look after you and I will look after anybody you say needs to be looked after, any way you say. I am here. I brought my whole self to you. I am your mother.” – Maya Angelou

Family members and friends who are like family contribute to the nurturing and cultivation of a child’s overall wellbeing. Their love supports who they are and who God calls them to be.

 

2. Representation Matters

“Representation is about demanding that we’re all seen and affirming that we all matter.” – Pilar, Brooklyn

From dance instructors to swim coaches, seeing images of people who look like you while teaching you or inspiring you, one can envision how they, too, can accomplish life’s goals.

 

3. Home Is Joy

“I want you to feel joy, so together we will learn how to be vulnerable.” – Brene Brown

Home will always be a welcoming place of joy, laughter, and love. While the world may not offer solitude or acceptance, home will always be a place where you are seen and safe. 

 

4. God Is Bigger

“Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.” – Khalil Gilbran

The cares of this world will never have the final say regarding the goodness of God. African Americans continue to rise above racial inequalities, reaffirming that God will always have the final say.
 

Here are ways you can join in the celebration of Black History Month both virtually and in person through our church and throughout DMV We encourage you to explore opportunities in your local community. 

 

NCC Small Groups:

Be The Bridge - The Christian life is lived in community. NCC is committed to being a safe place where we can pursue racial justice and unity together through honest conversations.

Events and Activities:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Smithsonian- History and Heritage Month Events

Listen and Learn - February Event (more information coming soon)

Listen and Learn creates space for people share the power of their personal story with others. For the month of February, we will celebrate the stories of the African American community.

Additional Resources: 

In My Grandmother’s House: Black Women, Faith, and the Stories We Inherit