We sat down with Meagan, Founder of Black Supermamas to get into the nuances of being a Black mother in the U.S. today. With a growing demand for safe spaces and open dialogues for, about, and by Black mothers, Meagan knew that a platform was necessary for the community. And so the journey to Black SuperMamas began and continued to unfold into a global community of Black mothers finding themselves seen, heard, and appreciated.
Black Supermamas is a safe, authentic, and supportive space created for Black mothers during their motherhood journey. Meagan herself is passionate about mental health and shares her story to encourage other moms to advocate for theirs. Before the interview begins, Meagan talks about her life pre-motherhood, more specifically her love for athletics and how excited she is to honor her life and passions beyond motherhood. This is ultimately what to expect when you stumble upon the Black Supermamas Instagram, a healthy mix between motherhood, information, laughter, and creativity – all of the passions Meagan stands by.
Meagan from Black Supermamas shares all about her journey supporting Black mothers:
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What led you to create Black Supermamas?
A lot of my journey into motherhood consisted of figuring things out on my own since my mother passed away when I was young. Of course, I had sisters and women in my life to look up to, but for the most part, I had to feel my way through becoming a mother. I had my firstborn during the pandemic when racial tensions were high in the U.S. I had a lot of emotions around being a Black mother having a Black son. All of this led to the creation of Black Supermamas. I wanted to use a language that really represented Black motherhood, be it with graphics, statistics, and particularly relatability. For me, I wanted to create a safe space for Black mothers and their mental health.
Absolutely. I can easily see how you prioritize relatability on your page. What experiences do Black women tend to relate to most?
There are so many shared experiences! I really try to use humor to normalize heavy topics so I think this helps connect the community more. To give some examples, I shared a post about toddlers which blew up because those who have a toddler, well they just know. Another post that people really loved was a video I made about the things I didn’t expect when I became a mom.
Since creating the platform, what kinds of conversations have come about that you weren’t expecting?
Honestly, there were things I didn’t know and weren’t prepared for because no one talks about them. A big one was the lack of village. People don’t ask how you are, they almost always ask ‘how’s the baby?’ or offer unsolicited advice. Another big one is the conversation about not enjoying every part of motherhood. I think it’s a stigma we’re talking about more now. On my page, I explain that you might not love every aspect of motherhood and that’s OK. Like, you can love your job and hate parts of it at the same time. Nothing is 100% and the moms who get it, get it.
Do you feel that in recent years there are more progressive spaces for Black mothers to speak candidly about their experiences – online or offline?
There are definitely more spaces now. It’s exciting for me to see so many brands and organizations join the conversation. In the last few years, I have seen more progressive conversations about water births, midwives, honest conversations about breastfeeding, and more. Between 2020-2023 I have seen growth which, yeah, leaves me super excited for the future. Imagine if our grandmas had access to this type of open community. I know some older women who have told me that they wish they had spaces like these.
Even though things definitely have progressed, there is space for more growth. In our community, I think we’re doing great with knowledge sharing but beyond that, Black women are not well represented as midwives, doulas, or doctors. I imagine in a few years it will get better, already my timeline amazes me with Black women taking up space and changing the game in motherhood conversations.
I saw how popular your YouTube video was about your water birth experience. Do you feel that, in general, variations of birthing experiences for Black mothers are well shared?
We’re getting there, I would say we have a long way to go. It’s a long fight for us as Black women, especially speaking in terms of safe healthcare. I even remember when water births were taboo, I didn’t know anybody personally who had a water birth before having one myself. I think it’s important to see ourselves represented in many birthing circles. I never believe in telling people what to do but I will always let them know there is another option.
The reality is our birthing experience as Black women is not the same as other women’s. I’ve heard so many stories, I’m sure we all have, of women passing away because of neglect during childbirth. I myself have even worked with people who this has affected up close. Birthing shouldn’t be something that we fear, it should be a celebration. The environment you give birth in is everything. When you go in feeling safe or cared for, your experience shifts immensely.
How do you encourage your community to safely navigate medical racism?
Best advice I give, which is free, is to do your research on your options. The more you know the better you feel advocating for yourself. For my first birthing experience, I went with whatever they told me to do. The second time around, I had more knowledge and autonomy.
I also encourage the community to find a support system. I found that a doula is great because they really advocate for you and help you be in your voice. Aside from this, if I find an account that is informing people on rights or alternative options such as at-home births, birthing centers, etc, I share. Including my own experiences, my water birth videos blew up because I opened up as a Black woman sharing my reality. My main thing is giving resources or evoking a conversation.
What is something that has inspired your approach to motherhood that you came across while building Black Supermamas?
There are so many things from events, to Black mom meet-ups to even organizations putting together Black mom self-care days. It’s all motivation for me. It also shows me how to continue creating bigger spaces for us as Black mothers because we don’t have a lot of spaces where we are empowered on this journey. I came across doulas by seeing other women who look like me taking up that space in the industry. I love seeing events, Black women-owned businesses and Black women, in general, doing the thing. I arrived at some of my decisions with birthing and parenting because of other Black women – I didn’t get here by myself and I frequently share that. When one of us is winning, we all are.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us. Finally, what is the most inspiring story that you’ve come across from your community?
I have had so many I wouldn’t even know where to start… I have many people comment that one of my posts left them in tears or really impacted their journey. The one that hits home though is the ‘I thought I was alone’ comment. That feeling of being alone is an intense feeling, it can keep you in a dark space so I’m glad I can offer someone that ease. That comment keeps me going. I have helped a lot of women feel safe admitting that ‘I am not OK, and that is OK’ which is a way of normalizing the complicated parenting journey. That’s always a blessing too.
Keep updated with Meagan’s work with Black SuperMamas on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.