Mothering While Black

by Dawn Marie Dow
Mothering While Black cover
Good Books rating 4.0
Parenting and Relationships
Technical
  • ID: 4368
  • Added: 2025-10-21
  • Updated: 2025-10-21
  • ISBN: 9780520300323
  • Publisher: University of California Press
  • Published: 2019-03-05
  • Reviews: 1

Mothering While Black delves into the intricate lives of African American middle-class mothers, highlighting the distinct parenting strategies they employ to maintain their children's class status while fostering their 'authentically black' identities. Sociologist Dawn Marie Dow reveals how traditional frameworks for studying middle-class families often fail to capture the nuanced experiences of black mothers, particularly in how they raise black boys and girls differently and navigate community expectations about work and childrearing. /n/n This book sheds light on the exclusion of African American middle-class mothers from the dominant cultural narrative of middle-class motherhood, exposing the difficult decisions they must make to ensure their children's safety, well-being, and future success. It offers a critical examination of the intersection of race, ethnicity, gender, work, family, and culture.

Reviews
Anne Helen Petersen's Substack · Anne Helen Petersen · 2023-02-05
insightful 4.00

The reviewer shares their personal experience with the book and appreciates the feedback from other mothers. The book is seen as a valuable resource for understanding the unique parenting experiences of Black mothers.

In this review, the author shares their personal journey with the book, highlighting how it resonated with their own experiences as a mother. They particularly appreciate the feedback and insights shared by other mothers, which add depth to the book's exploration of Black motherhood. The reviewer finds the book to be a valuable resource, offering a nuanced understanding of the challenges and strategies employed by African American middle-class mothers. The personal connection made by the reviewer underscores the book's relevance and impact on individual readers.

Quick quotes

    I just got 'Mothering While Black' by Dawn Marie Dow - am making my ...

    Feedback from other mothers, especially when the kids were little.

    The book offers a nuanced understanding of the challenges and strategies employed by African American middle-class mothers.

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