Mamas

Can white moms and Black moms ever truly be friends? Not just mom friends, but like really real friends? And does it matter? "Utterly addictive . . . Through her sharp wit and dynamic anecdotal storytelling, Helena Andrews-Dyer shines a light on the cultural differences that separate Black and white mothers."-Tia Williams, New York Times bestselling author of Seven Days in June Helena Andrews-Dyer lives in a "hot" Washington, D.C., neighborhood, which means picturesque row houses and plenty of gentrification. After having her first child, she joined the local mom group-"the Mamas"-and quickly realized that being one of the only Black mothers in the mix was a mixed bag. The racial, cultural, and socioeconomic differences were made clear almost immediately. But spending time in what she calls "the Polly Pocket world of postracial parenting" was a welcome reprieve. Then George Floyd happened. A man was murdered, a man who called out for his mama. And suddenly, the Mamas hit different. Though they were alike in some ways-they want their kids to be safe; they think their husbands are lazy; they work too much and feel guilty about it-Andrews-Dyer realized she had an entirely different set of problems that her neighborhood mom friends could never truly understand. In The Mamas, Andrews-Dyer chronicles the particular challenges she faces in a group where systemic racism can be solved with an Excel spreadsheet and where she, a Black, professional, Ivy League-educated mom, is overcompensating with every move. Andrews-Dyer grapples with her own inner tensions, like "Why do I never leave the house with the baby and without my wedding ring?" and "Why did every name we considered for our kids have to pass the resume test?" Throw in a global pandemic and a nationwide movement for soci...