What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms Fresh Take: Jamilah Lemieux, BLACK. SINGLE. MOTHER.
Mar 13, 2026
Jamilah Lemieux, cultural critic and author of Black. Single. Mother, reflects on writing about single motherhood as a healing act. She unpacks stigma rooted in history, reveals personal family reckonings, and discusses choosing and designing a life of intentional parenting. Conversations touch on vulnerability, community care, and advocating for shared custody.
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Childhood Discovery Of Father's Other Family
- Jamilah found out at age nine that her father was raising another family and hid the trauma by convincing herself it was fine.
- The reveal at camp (girl: "Your dad lives with us") forced later therapy and shaped how she processed her own daughter's fatherhood.
Engagement Closed The Door On Reconciliation
- Jamilah became a single mother after a breakup and then learned the child's father got engaged when her daughter was four months old.
- That engagement closed the door on reconciliation and helped Jamilah accept single motherhood and co-parenting boundaries.
Historical Roots Of Stigmatizing Black Single Motherhood
- Black single motherhood has deep historical roots and was shaped by slavery and unpaid caregiving roles.
- The Moynihan report and mid-20th-century narratives reframed Black mothers as a social problem instead of recognizing their labor and community roles.
