Life

This Is What's Missing For Millennial Moms Of Color

by Ashley Stoney

I read a lot of parenting media and as a former brand PR girl spent countless billable hours researching bloggers who "fit the bill" to endorse mom products (hint: a narrow grab of women). And when I was about to become a mom myself, I paid attention to the huge void of bloggers, memes, and mom humor aimed at me — a young black mom who listens to Migos and tags my friends in memes about listening to rap music in your corporate cubicle. Of the million new moms every year, a huge chunk are black, and yet young, black moms have have been virtually ignored in the media and on social, beyond private feeds. The motherhood space has been sorely lacking in "BlackGirlMagic" — something District Motherhued set out to remedy when it held its first D.C.-based event for millennial moms of color recently.

Finally, I felt heard and represented. I could bond with moms who love raising their kids and work at cool bars in the city, as I did at Mommy en Blanc — the best playdate ever.

Mothers and their children marched to a grassy park nestled in southwest D.C. on a humid summer Friday evening, clad in their best all-white attire to celebrate black motherhood. Playing off the ever-popular and exclusive Dîner en Blanc, an all-white pop-up dinner, Mommy en Blanc — the brainchild of District Motherhued — puts a twist on the concept, invited moms of color and their little ones to brave the daunting task of having a picnic with children clad in all-white attire. The end result is lots of giggles, new mom friends and a sea of moms celebrating our essence over bites and sips, and bonding over the Electric Slide.

Photo by Ashley Stoney

The location of the Mommy en Blanc meetup was a secret until just before the event; attendees only knew they had to wear white.

Photo by Ashley Stoney
Photo by Ashley Stoney

This was the second year that District MotherHued ran its Mommy en Blanc picnic. The event saw an impressive crowd of attendees, with lines of strollers cruising the streets toward the waterfront.

Photo by Ashley Stoney
Photo courtesy of Ashley Stoney

Wine and/or cupcakes were the order if the day, depending on your age.

Photo by @shutter_to_think_photo

We dressed our children in white, even though we knew they would be playing on the grass.

Photo by @shutter_to_think_photo
Photo by @shutter_to_think_photo
Photo by @shutter_to_think_photo

The event, in all its success, highlighted the lack of support for millennial moms of color elsewhere and at other times of the year.

Photo by @shutter_to_think_photo
Photo by @shutter_to_think_photo