Mothers have been important all through history. From the first mother Eve, to the mothers making history today. And even though mothers are the life-giving vessels created by God, they have not, and are not, given the position of honor that they deserve. In many African cultures the family lineage is determined by the maternal ancestry and many women were and still are leaders in their tribes. I was overjoyed to discover that my maternal lineage is from the Yoruba and Hausa people in what is now Nigeria. But in many European cultures, the paternal lineage is often given more importance and the patriarchy honored. Yet even in the patriarchal society of the United States of America, our 'fore fathers' decided that one's lineage is based on the status of the mother. Therefore they declared that a child born to an enslaved woman was automatically a slave. And one drop of black blood, made a person black. Even if the father was white, the child was considered to be black and enslaved. These inconsistencies, though they made sense to those who agreed with them are problematic even during today's times.
In our patriarchal, European based society where women outnumber men, women are still not given the amount of respect and honor afforded to men. Women make up 47% of the labor force and are more likely to hold college degrees than men. But women still earn only 78.6% of what men make in the same professions. Women only make up 20% of Congress and 5% of the CEOs of major corporations. And we won't even discuss the drastic gaps in wealth, power, and every other category when it comes to black women and women of color. It's clear that men are the decision makers in our country with such a lopsided distribution of power.
As we celebrate Mother's Day this weekend, this is the perfect time to consider what our country would look like if women realized the God-given collective power among them. It's a time to look with the same hope that my ancestors had for better days ahead. Imagine what could happen if women rise up in their power and say enough is enough. We could literally shut down the nation if we simply all went on strike for a day. And after a week, the world would pay attention to what we have to say. If women rise up in our power, laws would be passed for us to have equal rights to men. If women rise up in our power, women would receive equal pay in the workplace and the glass ceiling would be shattered. If women rise up in our power there will be more conversations and less sacrificing of our young people in senseless wars started by egotistic men, too afraid to fight themselves. And If women rise up in our power, then women would pass laws for women to have control of their own bodies and their own choices.
The conversation about abortion has never been about the concern for the life, but of power and the maintenance of the status quo. The one drop law and the maternal lineage rules have taken an unexpected turn, now people of color outnumber white people. This fact scares the heck out of some white people. Their fear is that once people of color and women rise up and realize their power, they will take over and give them a dose of their own medicine. They fear that we will pass laws to take away their rights, strip away their right to vote and regulate their bodies including that wayward sperm. I imagine a world run by competent, compassionate women and men who trust and not try to control people and pass laws governing fairly and justly. I imagine a world where fighting for one's rights will be a thing of the past. And conflicts will be settled in ways that acknowledge the humanity of all all people as they draw on the strength, knowledge, and wisdom of their mothers. This is what I imagine when women rise up in their power!
Happy Mother's Day to all who provide the steady guiding hand of a mother to anyone. You may not be a biological mother to be a mother. I wish a peaceful day to those for whom the word 'mother' brings pain. Whether it was an absent or abusive mother or the inability to become a mother. I see you and I stand with you.
I dedicate this to my mother and ancestral mothers listed at the beginning of this post. And I dedicate this post to my daughter, Jennifer, who has grown up to become a fantastic woman of God, teacher, friend, and mother. You have taught me so much and have always been my greatest cheerleader! The motherly love and care that you extend to your son, your friends, and me, is evident in your words and most importantly actions. I am proud to be your mother! May God continue to bless you!
Happy Mother's Day!