The authorfresh out of college, Black and queerfights to adopt her baby half-brother after their often incarcerated mother dies, but along the way, must contend with family court, Jonathans biological father, schools and the system that is full of preconceived notions. 30,000 first printing.
"A rare and timely parenting memoir by a queer Black mother, Mama follows the impact of incarceration on a family, exploring the generational trauma and pulling back the curtain on the foster care system"--
In this searing and uplifting memoir, a young Black queer woman fresh out of college adopts her baby brother after their incarcerated mother dies, determined to create the kind of family she never had.
Nikkya Hargrove spent a good portion of her childhood in prison visiting rooms. When her motheraddicted to cocaine and just out of prisonhad a son and then died only a few months later, Nikkya was faced with an impossible choice. Although she had just graduated from college, she decided to fight for custody of her half brother, Jonathan. And fight she did.
Nikkya vividly recounts how she is subjected to preconceived notions that she, a Black queer young woman, cannot be given such responsibility. Her honest portrayal of the shame she feels accepting food stamps, her familys reaction to her coming out, and the joy she experiences when she meets the woman who will become her wife reveal her sheer determination. And whether shes clashing with Jonathans biological father or battling for Jonathans education rights after hes diagnosed with ADHD and autism, this is a woman who wont give up.
Nikkyas moving story picks up where Bryan Stevensons Just Mercy left off, exploring generational trauma and pulling back the curtain on family court and poverty in America. Mama is an ode to motherhood and identity, and to finding strength in family and community, for readers of memoirs by Ashley C. Ford, Natasha Tretheway, and Dawn Turner.
