the mama trauma project

episode 02: forward motion.

everybody hates moral philosophy professors, but for our second episode i wanted to explore a question introduced to me by the good place’s chidi anagonye (by way of t.m. scanlon’s 1998 book “what we owe to each other”). a question that might inform a better world, but a question that often replays in my mind in relation to my own mother. do our mothers owe us anything but the life and breath it took for us to get here? did i owe her something all along? in this episode, i talk with my good friend imani about her mother-daughter relationship, what we both wanted from our mother’s that we didn’t receive, and what kind of people we decided to be as a result. i hope you gain something from this episode. share with somebody else if you do. ask a few more questions as you move through the world, and as you consider your relationships with the ones you love. you can also find this episode’s sonic reflection on spotify [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7IsFTG4IUHr9lwebNm4at6?si=ofv3lC7pQOGpXeVEAdTVqA] and apple music [https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/tmtp-session-02-saudade/pl.u-LdbqB3Btx6YJLa]. a micro-playlist of music that capture the captures this episode’s mood and conversation. now, breathe. with love, v This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themamatraumaproject.substack.com [https://themamatraumaproject.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

episode 01: it's actually f* ronald reagan.

welcome to the first episode of the mama trauma podcast - i couldn’t be more excited to get this out into the world. whereas the prose component of this project largely speaks to my personal experiences, i designed the podcast component to exist as conversation. to build somewhere where you can match the texture of my voice to the timbre of my emotion. somewhere where i can connect with other women who are like me and not so much like me to find where we intersect in our stories. i wanted to build space where other black women could free their long held silences, too. in this episode, i talk with two of my best friends about everything from our formative stories, to how world events and societal expectations of black women - mothers in particular - played a role in our lived experiences. i hope you enjoy this. share with somebody else if you do. we all need to dig into our hearts a little more frequently, if you ask me. also releasing today is the first curated micro-playlist for this project. 5 songs that capture the thoughts and feelings i’ve experienced in relation to my story, and in correspondence with putting this project out into the world. expect a new playlist in tandem with every podcast episode. these playlists are available on spotify [https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/tmtp-session-01-emerge/pl.u-PDb46B4FLyvamZ] and apple music [https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/tmtp-session-01-emerge/pl.u-PDb46B4FLyvamZ]. now, breathe. with love, v This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themamatraumaproject.substack.com [https://themamatraumaproject.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]