Mama. We See Your Strength: What We Heard, What We Learned & What Comes Next

On August 1, Black mothers gathered in Cincinnati for Mama. We See Your Strength, a day created to make space for healing, connection, learning, and community.

The day brought together mothers, wellness professionals, community organizations, and speakers for conversations and experiences centered on the realities of pregnancy complications and maternal health.

But the event didn't end when the last mother left.

We wanted to know what mothers thought.

So we asked.

The feedback we received reinforced something important: there is a real desire for spaces where Black mothers can connect with one another, share their experiences, access resources, and simply have the opportunity to be cared for.

When asked what they found most valuable, mothers highlighted the opportunity to connect with other mothers and hear their stories, hands-on experiences, the dance and stress-relief activities, the cooking demonstration, resources, and the discussion sessions.

One of the most meaningful takeaways was the value of community. Mothers weren't just looking for information. They valued being in a room with other women who could understand aspects of their experiences.

And when we asked whether they would attend another Mama, We See Your Strength event, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

Listening Helps Us Grow

The feedback also gave us thoughtful ideas about how future programming could be even stronger.

Rather than trying to fit as many speakers and sessions as possible into one day, we see an opportunity to create experiences that are more intentional, intimate, and centered around connection.

Future gatherings could give mothers more time to engage with one another, participate in meaningful conversations, and connect directly with resources and experts.

The feedback also pointed to interest in additional programming around mental health, stress relief, parent-child connections, resources for mothers and newborns, and opportunities for continued community connection.

These insights are helping shape the conversations we're having about what's next for Edith Institute.

What Comes Next

We're taking what we learned from Mama, We See Your Strength seriously.

We're continuing to work behind the scenes, including preparing to share findings from the The Mama We See study, while exploring ways to create meaningful opportunities for Black mothers to connect, learn, and be supported.

We're also listening… to mothers, community partners, sponsors, and the people who helped make this work possible.

Because the best programs aren't created in isolation.

They're created by listening to the people they're meant to serve.

Mama, We See Your Strength was one day, but the conversations, stories, and lessons from that day will continue to inform the work ahead.

Thank you to every mother who joined us, shared her experience, participated in the day, and trusted us with her feedback.

We hear you.
We're listening.
And we're taking that with us into what's next.