Baltimore Moms Rise to the Occasion

This week has been harrowing to say the least. Many people have lost jobs, property, business, a sense of safety and then some. Moms (and Dads) have had their share of work cut Monyka Berrocosa on CNN 4/28/15out for them, dealing with school closures, challenging traffic, and most of all trying to talk to kids about what’s happening in our city of Baltimore. It hasn’t been easy.

When a video of Mom Toya Graham, 42, recently unemployed and single-handedly raising 6 children in challenging conditions initially surfaced, the public’s reaction was a mix of horror, and applause.

On Tuesday night, the first night of the curfew, our CEO Monyka Berrocosa was on a panel on CNN Tonight Live at approximately 11:30 pm with Don Lemon, alonside Brick Bodies Fitness Instructor Kimberly Thompson, and concerned mother, activist, actress and poet Timeeka Wilkins-Addison. The women were talking about the role Mom’s play in the raising of our children and the fact that now more than ever, it takes a village. Ironically the detail that our City’s Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who is also a Mom, was neglected for all of the discussion, until MB brought it up at the end.

To see the original video that went viral, which Mom Toya Graham later apologized for, but also expressed frustration at not having more resources and ability to do better click here. After the video surfaced several people made it a point to critique the mother for resulting to corporate punishment to make a point. We have to ask, if you saw your child behaving this way, in a tense situation, in a place teeming with violence with nerves on edge, would you do better? Would you even be there to notice? We agree, violence is not the answer to stopping violence but as parents, is our responsibility first not to teach our children not to do things, at times by means necessary in such challenging circumstances.

Interestingly later in the week, the mother and child were again on television where this time, her teenage son spoke out about being “embarrassed” and having learned a lesson. This adds a different dimension to the story as one can ascertain as unpleasant as the hitting may have been, it did make a point. Perhaps not the ideal way, but thankfully the mother’s son gets his mother’s reaction and understands it, even if others don’t condone it. To view that video, click here.

gobmoreomsIn response to the outcry to let moms have a place to gather and share their thoughts about the city’s events, MyCity4HER Media created a Facebook page and is trying to mobilize concerned and interested Moms for a productive and pro-active oriented approach to the City’s challenges during this time of crisis and beyond. We are #bettertogether, always. Help us #helpHER by checking it out – click here.

For a couple of ways you can make a difference and help the healing begin – see below

Baltimore WHERE HELP IS NEEDED

How to talk to your kids about the events in Baltimore

 

 

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