Generation to Generation: Learning to Othermother

• In Event: Black Girls and Young Women Enacting Civics Through Everyday Praxis

Abstract

Purpose
Othermothering is a phenomenon stemming from an honored West African tradition where Black women care for non-biological children as though they were their own. Othermothering liberates Black women and is a tool of community agency. One must ask, how is othermothering taught? How do Black girls learn to othermother? Using a Black feminist care framework, these questions will be examined with a Black, homeschooled family where the eldest of six is an adolescent female. Through phenomenology and reflexivity, I will connect the findings to my own experience as a Black woman who is becoming a classroom othermother.
Theoretical Frameworks
Caring is a moral obligation (Gilligan, 1982), where individuals transcend individual feelings to respond to the needs of others (Noddings, 2003, 2010). However, Black women and girls have multiple intersecting identities (Cooper, 2017; Crenshaw, 1989; hooks, 1994) impacting how care is displayed, taught and learned. Therefore, Collins’ (2000) Black feminist thought (BFT) will be explored in conjunction with the ethic of care, providing a foundation for Black feminist care (Bass, 2012), focusing on othermothering.
Methods
The phenomenological approach allows for reflection on the essence and life of the othermother. It creates a space for me to intertwine my experiences, (Groenewald, 2004; van Manen, 2016) as someone who is stepping into the role of an othermother. As I reflect upon the data and make connections, I will write with self-reflexivity (Creswell, 2013), strengthened by my positionality.
A Black family of eight, the Parkers, were selected because their oldest child was a female adolescent, their family size, and the mother’s age, stature and community roots. Table 1 depicts family information. The subjects had their anonymity protected through pseudonyms and were ensured of informed consent. The study was approved by the university review board and conducted over thirteen weeks, as described in Table 2.
Findings
I found learning to care as: intentional, more than service, mimicked, and interdependent (Figure 1). In othermothering, an individual must extend oneself. Monique described this as “going the extra mile.” An othermother has learned from others and intentionally demonstrates care. Abigail was seen mimicking Monique’s actions, and I learned educational care through my mother. The work of care is interdependent, and there are many individuals within the Black community who model care for Black girls. Abigail experienced this through her parents and other kin; I encountered it through Black teachers that I had.
Significance
The ethic of care asserts that caring is a moral obligation (Gilligan, 1982). From a Black feminist care perspective (Bass, 2012), we have an obligation to demonstrate care to Black girls. Doing so impacts their development, providing a model of community that shapes generations. It is our responsibility as Black women to use care as a form of agency (Lindsay-Dennis, 2015), and show Black girls how to harness this power. When I think about my work as an educator, I needed the influence of the othermothers in my life modeling care to be where I am today.

Author

• Kel A. Hughes Jones, Waukesha County Technical College