"I’m learning to mother myself as I’m mothering her." Meet L’Oreal Thompson Payton
Plus, Banned Books Week, Today is the FINAL DAY to sign up for our Sept workshop at Lit Lib & more!
Welcome to Mom’s the Word! This is where we let our hair down, or off, or up and out. It’s for parents, but also aunties, play cousins, best friends and all the other beautiful beings that make up our communities. We’ll catch up with our favorite people and they’ll share their favorite reads and hangs, and more. The first four issues of Mom’s the Word will remain free. To read future editions, become a paid subscriber.
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What’s happening? I had to take a break to readjust to school. Seems like every week this month I look up and say “damn, it’s Friday already!?” and that’s at the end of my work time. I’m doing overtime today to get this out and hope to get back in routine over the next few weeks.
Between Eric Adams, Banned Books Week, Marcellus Williams and Diddy, it’s safe to say that things seem pretty trash right now at varying degrees. I’m pleased as punch to see Diddy’s & Adams’ downfall. I’m torn open by Marcellus Williams’ state sanctioned murder and I’m seething with banned books kind of just playing in the background. It never feels like there’s enough forward movement. But somehow, we still press on.
Some announcements before we jump into our feature with
This week we announced our 2025 Best of the Net nominees! Congratulations to and !
Read their essays here:
Literary Liberation celebrated six months of being up and operational. It’s been a blast learning the ropes of creating a meaningful learning community and I’m ready to take it up a notch! Well, we will next year.
Raising Mothers will also send email publications roughly once a week starting in October. The exception being special announcements and submission calls. Everyone will get this Friday email with links to everything. These emails will end up being lengthy, so make sure you’re reading via the app or on desktop so you don’t miss anything.
DO NOT MISS THESE DEADLINES:
SEPT 28: FINAL CALL to register for WOMEN, WRITING, & RESISTANCE with
is TODAY! If you need a payment plan, I need to know by 5pm EST TODAY via email.SEPT 29: KIN KEEPERS Live Storytelling submissions close! The theme is FRIENDSHIP.
OCTOBER WORKSHOPS:
OCT 6-27 | SEE ME NAKED: Writing into the Depths of Pleasure and Delight with
OCT 19-26 | AFTER BIRTH: Postpartum Narratives with
Who likes banned books? We like banned books!
Our Freedom to Read Matters
Every year, Banned Books Week reminds us that the freedom to read is something we cannot take for granted. Books are powerful—they challenge ideas, inspire change, and open us to perspectives different from our own. Unfortunately, many books that deal with important, often difficult topics are frequently banned or challenged in schools, libraries, and communities.
Why Banned Books Matter
Books that end up on banned or challenged lists often speak truth to power, deal with issues of race, gender, identity, and challenge the status quo. These books spark necessary conversations that can help society progress, yet they’re the ones most frequently pulled off shelves. Banning these books not only limits access to ideas but also prevents marginalized voices from being heard.
From Tayari Jone’s post: “Happy Banned Book Week! Did you know, An American Marriage has NEVER been banned? I know it’s about wrongful imprisonment and the criminalization of Black men, topped with generous helping of Intersectional Feminism— but no banning! WHY? Because the idiots who ban books don’t read books— they just look at the titles! :::::cue wild laughter::::”
What You Can Do to Support Banned Books
Banned Books Week is about more than just awareness—it's a call to action. If you care about the freedom to read, here are some ways you can get involved:
Read Banned Books: Pick up a book from the banned list and share your thoughts with your friends, family, and community. A few important titles include The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, 1984 by George Orwell, and Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe.
Speak Out: Write or share posts on social media about the importance of access to literature. Use hashtags like #BannedBooksWeek, #FreedomToRead, and #StopBookBans.
Support Organizations Fighting Book Bans:
American Library Association (ALA): They lead the fight for intellectual freedom and track the most banned and challenged books each year.
National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC): This group advocates for free speech and offers resources on how to challenge book bans in your local community.
Books Unbanned Programs: Some libraries, like the Brooklyn Public Library, offer free access to banned books through special programs. Encourage others to utilize these resources.
Join a Local Library Board or Attend Meetings: Many decisions about book bans happen locally. Get involved in your community and advocate for keeping diverse voices on shelves.
I asked for your favorite classic and contemporary banned books and this is some of what you shared:
Beloved by Toni Morrison ty
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
New Kid by Jerry Craft ty
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Poet X by
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson ty
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
Heavy by ty
Our dear brother, Marcellus.
Read Joel’s elegy for Marcellus Williams:
the last rites are a last breath of sorts chosen to die by a system fed by courts
MEET L’Oreal Thompson Payton
L’Oreal Thompson Payton is a Chicago-based author, award-winning journalist and keynote speaker.
Connect: | L’Oreal on IG
Becoming a parent has certainly made me more sympathetic to my own parents. It’s also caused me to be more patient with myself. I definitely used to be quite the perfectionist, but I quickly learned there’s no room for perfectionism and parenting. Those two things just don’t (and shouldn’t) go together. So becoming a mom to a Black girl has certainly made me kinder to myself. It’s almost like I’m learning to mother myself as I’m mothering her.
My therapist often prompts me whenever I find myself in a challenging situation to ask myself, “What would I want Violet to do?” And then she encourages me to do that.
The most vivid scenario of this playing out in real life was when we were climbing Diamond Head in Hawaii. I’d done this hike before with no problem, but it was MUCH different with a 20-something pound toddler strapped to my back.
We were approaching the next-to-last summit and even though everything in me was telling me to push through, I heard my therapist in the back of my head asking me, “What would you want Violet to do?” I would want her to rest. So I did.
Even though I could see the top of the volcano and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, I knew it was more important to model self-care in that moment for Violet, especially as a Black woman.
So after we returned to where the rest of my family was sitting and I had a chance to catch my breath, I turned to Violet and said, “Mommy’s really tired. And it’s important that we listen to and honor our body and our boundaries.”
Now, she’d just turned 1, so I didn’t expect her to react or really take in anything I was saying. But the kids are always watching.
I did a LOT of yoga with Chelsea Jackson Roberts on the Peloton app while I was pregnant and it’s such a joy to see Violet doing yoga with me now (oftentimes, she’s the one who initiates it!). I’m not sure if it’s based in any science, but I feel like V gravitates towards Chelsea when I do her classes now and I wonder if it’s because she heard her voice so much in the womb. I didn’t see self-care modeled for me when I was younger, so I want to be that example for my daughter, especially because Black women aren’t often given the space and grace to be soft.
Years ago, I went to a yoga retreat for women of color where one of the teachers asked, “Who taught you how to rest?” And I was dumbfounded. I’d never seen any of the women in my family actually rest.
I’m trying to live in a way that should Violet ever find herself at a similar retreat and someone asks her a similar question, she’ll be able to confidently respond, “My mom.”