Mother Up!

With Love, in our shared struggle: a conversation with Michelle Courtney Berry, an Ithaca based African American coach, businesswoman, and a formidable speaker and activist. We talk about activism while sheltering in place, and self-care challenges, especially when doing anti-racist work. Then we get on our soapbox about the problems caused by the pressure to be “super mother” and how the mythology of the strong black superwoman affected her personal and professional life. We talk about how the discomfort of white women can be lethal to black men and women, and Michelle tells us the heartbreaking story of how racism lead to the stealing of an entire lake. Michelle Courtney Berry is certified NLP Master Coach and Practitioner for Health and Wellness as well as an author, speaker, trainer, actor, performing artist, playwright, poet, humorist, and nature lover who helps improve the quality of people’s lives by helping them manage stress, time, conflict, and competing priorities. Michelle is a former Alternate Acting Mayor and Alderperson for the City of Ithaca, a former White House TV reporter, and she's is a 2x TEDx and SXSW speaker who has opened for Maya Angelou and the Dalai Lama. She holds a graduate degree in Organizational Behavior and Risk Communication from Cornell University. She is the Founder and CEO of her consulting company Courtney Consulting Enterprises, LLC. Visit Michelle's website here: https://www.michellecourtneyberry.com/ Subscribe to her excellent blog: https://www.michellecourtneyberry.com/blog Watch Michelle's Facebook live video chat every Thursday: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.berry/videos/vb.805244867/10158312892684868/?type=3 Michelle has been donating her services to our community for years, and since the beginning of the pandemic, she’s increased her support to individuals in need and the entire community via Mutual Aid Tompkins. We encourage you to support her work with your donations on Venmo @Michelle-Berry-32 The documentary about the story of Luxton Lake mentioned in the episode can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/fsG4YKsGpcE - - - This podcast is hosted by Yael Daphna Saar, founder of Mama's Comfort Camp. Mothers of all ages and stages are welcome to join the Mama's Comfort Camp safe-space forums here: www.facebook.com/groups/mamas.comfort.camp/ Mother Up! and Mama's Comfort Camp are projects of the Center for Transformative Action, a Cornell University affiliate. www.centerfortransformativeaction.org Our theme song: is “We are the Answer" by Grey Gary, you can find more of their terrific music at www.greygary.com Visit us at www.MotherUp.org. Much love, hugs all around.

A conversation with the Ithaca #BlackLivesMatter activists and founders of the Mutual Aid Tompkins grassroots networks Phoebe Brown and Juliana Garcia, just before the Women's Rally for black lives in Ithaca, NY. We've had some technical problems while recording, so in this episode, the story value is higher than the production value, Watch the speeches from the women's rally here: https://www.facebook.com/watchparty/3126641297401161/ In this episode, Phoebe, Juliana and I talk about building real relationships for anti-racist work, feeding each other during COVID, the gap in the experience of black parents and white parents, and the actions white parents can take to so their kids and themselves will be less likely to behave in unintentionally racist ways (for example, learn about the racism in Dr. Seuss books here: https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/its-time-to-talk-about-dr-seuss). We dedicated the episode to Breonna Taylor, and encourage you to donate to the #sayhername project: https://aapf.org/sayhername and the Breonna Taylor memorial fund. https://www.gofundme.com/f/9v4q2-justice-for-breonna-taylor Phoebe Brown works for the ALLIANCE OF FAMILIES FOR JUSTICE: https://afj-ny.org/ and the Multicultural Resource Center: http://www.multiculturalresourcecenter.org/ Juliana Garcia works for Cornell Cooperative Extention parenting division, and both of them started the Mutual Aid Tompkins movement. Find Mutual Aid Tompkins: Website: https://mutualaidtompkins.com/food-sharing/contribute The main discussion group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/209042093515340/ The Discussion group for stocking the food cabinets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2602977416468789/ Map to the food cabinet locations: https://mutualaidtompkins.com/food-sharing/locations - - - This podcast is hosted by Yael Daphna Saar, founder of Mama's Comfort Camp. Mothers of all ages and stages are welcome to join the Mama's Comfort Camp safe-space forums here: www.facebook.com/groups/mamas.comfort.camp/ Mother Up! and Mama's Comfort Camp are projects of the Center for Transformative Action, a Cornell University affiliate. www.centerfortransformativeaction.org Our theme song: is “We are the Answer" by Grey Gary, you can find more of their terrific music at www.greygary.com Visit us at www.MotherUp.org. Much love, hugs all around.

Christa Núñez is an African American wife and mother, farmer, writer, educator, researcher, scholar and servant to communities. We discuss how Mama's Comfort Camp, our community of mothers from around the world is responding to the crisis of racial injustice, and of Christa’s work to bring literacy and access to farming and nature to children and farmers of color. We also talk about her Learning Farm and the fledgling Ubuntu Library and about the concept of ComFortitude, so central to both of our work. This lead us to a conversation about class and race and food deserts, and what’s wrong with unsolicited advice… This episode was recorded and edited in days of extreme racial injustice. We dedicate this episode to George Floyd, his family, especially his mother. And to all the black and brown people murdered in racist America and around the world. Please consider donating to the George Floyd Memorial Fund here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd Our conversation goes deep and can be triggering to some; we invite listeners to recognize this discomfort as a path to our evolution. Show Links: The Learning Farm (amazing online summer programs!): https://learningfarm.org Ubuntu Lab is going through a name change, it will soon be called Ubuntu Library. Sign up here: http://www.khubainternational.org/ IF CHILD RECEIVING BOOKS IS BIPOC/AFRICAN DIASPORA SUBSCRIPTION IS FREE . Donate a Buffalo Street Books gift card to the Ubunto Library: www.buffalostreetbooks.com/buffalo-street-books-gift-card Address for donations of existing gift cards: 272 Enfield Falls Rd Ithaca, NY 14850 Our contemplation break song: HOW MANY MORE, by Stone Cold Miracle (look for them on Spotify) Lyrics BY DUSTIN STUHR Vocals by SingTrece (www.singtrece.com) THERE'S BEEN A COMMOTION DOWN ON THE CORNER OF FEAR AND HATE... ANOTHER UNARMED MAN DIDN'T STICK UP HIS HANDS NOW THEY SPREADING THE TAPE THERE'S BEEN A PROMOTION OF THE IDEA THAT WE ARE FREE... RIGHT HERE FROM WHERE I STAND THIS AINT NO PROMISE LAND IF THERE AINT NO JUSTICE THERE AINT NO LIBERTY CHORUS: HOW MAY MORE PEOPLE HAVE DIE BEFORE WE KNOW THE REASON WHY AIN'T NOTHING BUT FEAR THAT DRIVES THIS TRAIN NOTHING TO LOSE BUT EVERYTHING TO GAIN I BELIEVE IN THE NOTION THAT TO SEE LOVE I'VE GOT TO BE LOVE... I DONT KNOW WHERE I STAND HOW DO I LOVE THE MAN THAT KILLED MY BROTHER MAN CHORUS: HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE DIE... BEFORE WE KNOW THE REASON WHY... AIN'T NOTHING BUT FEAR THAT DRIVES THIS TRAIN NOTHING TO LOSE BUT EVERYTHING TO GAIN - - - This podcast is hosted by Yael Daphna Saar, founder of Mama's Comfort Camp. Mothers of all ages and stages are welcome to join the Mama's Comfort Camp safespace forums here: www.facebook.com/groups/mamas.comfort.camp/ Mother Up! and Mama's Comfort Camp are projects of the Center for Transformative Action, a Cornell University affiliate. www.centerfortransformativeaction.org Our theme song: is “We are the Answer" by Grey Gary, you can find more of their terrific music at www.greygary.com Visit us at www.MotherUp.org.

In our first "official" episode, Yael Saar, Founder of Mama's Comfort Camp and Mother Up! and Anke Wessels, Executive Director of Center for Transformative Action have a conversation about the changes of mindest, workplace standards, and economic conditions that could pave the way to a healthy society in which everyone is more likely to thrive. This is not quite an interview, Yael and Anke have a conversation among equals that goes into their deep yearnings, concerns, and gratitude. The Center for Transformative Action is the nonprofit fiscal sponsor Mother Up! which means Anke is Yael's boss, and this episode is an invitation for a new paradigm for work relationships for all. Mother Up! is a production of Mama's Comfort Camp (MCC), an emotional support network where moms of all ages and stages, from around the world and across the street, are seen, heard, and held. Our motto is: Moms don't need more advice, we need more support. Our safe-space forums are healing, transformative, and fertile ground for creative projects, like this podcast. All who identify as mothers are invited to join our lovingly moderated Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/mamas.comfort.camp This podcast is hosted by Yael Daphna Saar, founder of MCC. Mother Up! and Mama's Comfort Camp are projects of the Center for Transformative Action, a Cornell University affiliate. www.centerfortransformativeaction.org/ Our theme song: is “We are the Answer" by Grey Gary, you can find more of their terrific music at www.greygary.com You can learn more about the Mother Up! Initiative and our programs to amplify the voices of parents and caregivers at www.MotherUp.org.

In which Yael Saar, the founder of MCC is testing and practicing the podcasting thing with the help of Liz Hartman, an Ithaca mother of two young boys with a penchant for political activism. She’s here to encourage us to amplify the influence of parents on policymaking, by lending our support to political candidates committed to policies that support the needs of parents and children. We will cover how she got involved, what she actually does to support candidates she believes in, and how it all fits into her busy life as a mom of two boys during quarantine time. We will also cover what you need to know about absentee voting in NY state in the June 23rd primary. Link to the application: https://www.elections.ny.gov/votingabsentee.html Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in this episode are individual and do not constitute an endorsement by MCC or Mother Up of any political candidate or party. As a nonprofit project of the Center for Transformative Action, we can engage in voter education but we are prohibited from participating in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. We are grateful for Liz’s compliance with this prohibition, and I’m really impressed at how she managed to avoid naming candidates while sharing her motivation and her personal evolution, as well as giving us ideas for practical ways we can get involved too. Edit: After the episode was recorded, NY state brought the presidential primary back on the ballot: https://www.chronicle-express.com/news/20200515/new-yorks-democratic-presidential-primary-june-23-reinstated-after-yang-sanders-sue-state-appeals Mother Up! is a production of Mama's Comfort Camp, an emotional support network where moms of all ages and stages, from around the world and across the street, are seen, heard, and held. Our motto is: Moms don't need more advice, we need more support. Our safe-space forums are healing, transformative, and fertile ground for creative projects, like this podcast. All who identify as mothers are invited to join our lovingly moderated Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mamas.comfort.camp This podcast is hosted by Yael Daphna Saar, founder of MCC. Mother Up! and Mama's Comfort Camp are projects of the Center for Transformative Action, a Cornell University affiliate. Our theme song: is “We are the Answer" by Grey Gary, you can find more of their terrific music at www.greygary.com You can learn more about the Mother Up! Initiative and our programs to amplify the voices of parents and caregivers at www.MotherUp.org.