Source: Shutterstock

From MommyNoire

“What’s your daughter mixed with?” asked the cashier at the value grocery store I often frequented as a new mom with my, then, three-month old daughter. She was smiling then, so I knew that her question was well intentioned, or at least that’s what I thought at the time. The question proceeded something about my daughter being pretty and something else about her then “wavy” and “pretty” hair “Ummm…mixed?” I asked, not really confused but mostly trying to buy more time before facing the questions that I knew would inevitably come when I told her my daughter wasn’t mixed. “Yeah,” she said, confidently. “What’s she mixed with?”

Like many persons of color who look a bit different, I grew with questions about my heritage. So by the time I had become a parent, questions like “Where are you from?” and “What’s your background?”and “Are you (fill in the blank nationality)?” had come to be colored in my head as racial identifying questions. I had come to accept them as just part of my identity as a brown-skinned African-American woman, in the same way, I assume, my East African husband had come to accept them as a brown-skinned, black man in America. Our ethnic backgrounds are mixed, but we are black, and so, too, are our lighter-skinned, curly-haired daughters.

I try often to explain this to strangers we encounter in public, but it’s tricky since so many, it seems, have a predisposed notion of what it means to be black and not black and that anything that veers from that notion is odd. “No, they’re black,” I always say when asked about my daughters being mixed. To this, the person asking usually looks confused. And then there’s a silence between us that makes me feel like I should explain more. And I usually do explain more by saying something about how my husband and I have many ethnicities in our backgrounds, but that we, and they, my daughters, are black. This usually does the trick. But, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes, the person asking will want to know specifics.  So then I say, “I’m American and my husband is from Africa” but the inclusion of Africa in a conversation about being mixed just complicates things even more.

Read more on MommyNoire.com.

Credit: Allen Jones, VCU University Relations

From Black Voices

Doctors in Virginia made science history on Monday when they successfully completed a first-of-its-kind surgical procedure to separate six-month-old conjoined twin girls.

The 14-hour operation was performed at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU in Virginia, where the girls are now in stable condition.

A’zhari and A’zhiah Jones of Franklin, Virginia, were born as so-called thoracopagus twins, meaning their bodies were fused at the abdomen and that they had heart abnormalities.

The first stage of the Jones twins’ phased separation began in October 2012, when surgeons divided their shared liver, and then closed the girls’ abdomens back up.

“As the girls became critically ill over the second week of their lives, we had to urgently separate their conjoined liver as this was the source of their uncompensated cross circulation,” Dr. David Lanning, surgeon-in-chief at the children’s hospital, said in a written statement. “However, complete separation at that time would almost assuredly have resulted in their deaths as A’zhari was in renal failure and A’zhiah had severe cardiac hypertrophy. A phased surgery was the optimal plan.”

In February 2013, surgeons placed tissue expanders in the twins’ abdomens, which enabled the growth of excess skin to be used for closure and reconstruction following surgery.

Read more at BlackVoices.com.

From HelloBeautiful

From HelloBeautiful

Wiz Khalifa wouldn’t mind if his son Sebastian had play dates with baby mama Amber Rose’s ex-boyfriend Kanye West‘s future child.

A source close to the couple said: “He is so devoted to being a great father and is crazy in love with Amber. He even joked that he would love to have playdates with Kanye [West] if things weren’t so awkward.”

Apparently Wiz is still friendly with Kanye, and doesn’t see what the big deal is. I mean Kanye and Kim were so over in 2010.

Read more at HelloBeautiful.com

About This Episode

If you’re a Mother having problems getting your Baby to latch on when it comes to breastfeeding this bonus episode of Mommy In Chief  is for you. We’ve invited back Doctor Lisette Lugo, to offer advice and resources for Moms who are experiecing complications when it comes to breastfeeding.

About Dr. Lissette Lugo

About This Episode

We are back with a popular topic amongst moms – yes breastfeeding–and its benefits. We invited Doctor Lisette Lugo, founder and managing partner of Every Woman Wellness and obstetric anesthesiologist to clarify the breastfeeding role. Is it truly for every Mom?

About Dr. Lissette Lugo

About This Episode

In our  ’Mommy-to-be’ episode we briefly introduced you to birth doula Bilen Berhanu. Now, to gain better insight into the world of a doula, we have invited Bilen back to breakdown the benefits of having a doula during and after your pregnancy.

About Bilen Berhanu

Bilen Berhanu is a DONA-trained birth doula. Bilen has worked with families throughout New York city and the tri-state area. She has provided preconception consulting, pre-natal, labor, birth and post-partum support. Her practice is centered on a desire to provide pathways to empowered birth. Founded on a philosophy of honoring the wisdom of the body and the birth workers that came before, her approach is very grounded and embodied. For inquiries about services, email doula@bilenberhanu.com

Karyn Parsons is best known as the character “Hilary Banks” on the long-running television show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” Today she is a wife and mother of two. Parsons is also the Founder and President of the Sweet Blackberry foundation after being inspired by the true tale of a determined slave and the remarkable lengths he travelled to find his freedom.  While growing up, Parsons’ mother, a librarian in the Black Resource Center of a library in South Central Los Angeles, would share stories of African-American accomplishment with her daughter.  A mother and activist, Karyn created Sweet Blackberry to use the power of stories to inspire youth. Follow her on Twitter @Karyn_Parsons.

Want More Mommy In Chief? Watch these episodes:

Season 3

• Episode 1: Mommy-To-Be: Pregnancy In 3 Stages

Season 2

• Episode 1: Are You A Good Enough Mother?
• Episode 2: New Motherhood and Balancing A Busy Work Life
• Episode 3: How to Decorate an Eco-Friendly Baby Nursery
• Episode 4: Foodie, Nicole Friday on Kids and Career
• Episode 5: Melissa Beck, From Hollywood to Stay At Home Mom
• Episode 6: Single Mom in The City
• Episode 7: Mommy Mogul and Marketing Wiz Monique Jackson at Home With Her Boys
• Episode 8: Beauty Maven Jodie Patterson Talks Four-Day Work Week for Moms 
• Episode 9: Tonya Lewis Lee on Motherhood and the Importance of Women’s Health

Season 1

• Episode 1: Back 2 School
• Episode 2: Happy Halloween
• Episode 3: Socially Responsible Kids
• Episode 4: Money Talks
• Episode 5: Keeping Families Healthy
• Episode 6: Thanksgiving Madness
• Episode 7: Highlights and Best Moments
• Episode 8: Stylish Moms
• Episode 9: Best Apps for Moms
• Episode 10: Socialite Kids
• Episode 11: Hair Talk with AfroBella
• Episode 12: Happy New Year!

Welcome to the third season of  Mommy In Chief! This season we’ll be touching upon all things mommy. That includes topics ranging from pregnancy to breast-feeding to adoption, to building your child’s self-esteem. We have a lot in store for Moms and Dads this season, so you don’t want to miss one single episode. Be sure to tune in every Monday for the latest episode of Mommy In Chief.

About This Episode

Moms-to-be, we know you are out there and so we’ve decided to dedicate this episode to helping you prepare for your baby’s arrival! That includes what to expect during your first, second and third trimesters.

About Bilen Berhanu

Bilen Berhanu is a DONA-trained birth doula. Bilen has worked with families throughout New York city and the tri-state area. She has provided preconception consulting, pre-natal, labor, birth and post-partum support. Her practice is centered on a desire to provide pathways to empowered birth. Founded on a philosophy of honoring the wisdom of the body and the birth workers that came before, her approach is very grounded and embodied. For inquiries about services, email doula@bilenberhanu.com

George Chin / WENN

As its been said a million times before and remains true, music is a universal language. Before you know it, a song can take you on an emotional roller coaster, feeling things you didn’t know you felt.  The stories told in songs can have you agreeing…and throwing a side eye.  Some of our favorite songs have some of the most trifling situations: cheating, fighting over men, falling in love with someone else, babies, etc.  Check out the list and don’t forget to tell us your fave song that has a trifling meaning!

Shutterstock

A crying baby on a flight en route to Atlanta caused a man to lose his mind and ultimately, find himself the focus of an FBI investigation.

Joe Rickey Hundley of Idaho was charged with assaulting a minor after he slapped a two year old baby who wouldn’t stop crying.

According to CNN, the baby began crying because of the change in altitude as the plane was preparing to descent to Atlanta-Hartsfield Airport.  Jessica Bennett, the child’s mother, said she began trying to soothe him but was unsuccessful.

At that point, Hundley, who was seated next to her, turned to her and said, “Shut that n***er baby up,” according to the FBI agent’s filed affidavit.

When that didn’t immediately happened, Hundley took an open hand and slapped the baby right in the face.  Of course, the baby started crying even louder.  As a result, the baby suffered a scratch under his right eye.

Many passengers were able to tell the story to the FBI agent once the plane landed.

Delta Airlines released a statement saying they were fully cooperating with authorities and apologized to passengers for the inconvenience.

Hundley isn’t answering any questions; instead, he referred questions to his lawyer who, as of Friday, had not returned CNN’s phone calls.

Lord, Lord, LORD, hold my mule while I run this race! I assume Miss Bennett must either have been in shock or she was more professional about it than anyone else I know would have ever been.  I’ve literally thought about this all night and I am pretty sure that had this been me, this would have had a slightly different ending.

I’m pretty sure I would have made a quick phone call to make sure someone could come pick my baby from the airport. Then, I’d have spoken to the flight attendant to make sure my baby got to said person meeting us at the airport. At that point, I would have beat the you-know-what out of that old man for laying hands on my child. See, someone would have to pick my kid up because clearly we both would have been hauled off to jail. I just don’t see how it’s possible that I would not have laid hands on the man.

Here’s the thing: there’s not one person who likes being on a flight with a crying baby. But hey, things happen and you have to deal with it.  This man was mad because the plane was landing and the baby’s ears were popping and it hurt.  Not only did he hit the baby but he called him a “n***er baby.”  Being old and annoyed doesn’t mean you get a pass for being a crazy racist.

I’m still floored.

I need to know: How do you think you would have reacted? Let’s talk.

Source: Getty Images

It seems like every time OWN takes one step forward, it hits a bump that can possibly hurt the progress.

Carolyn Hommel is suing OWN for sex and pregnancy discrimination, alleging she was on track to becoming a vice president before she got pregnant, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In the lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles court on Friday, Hommel says she was hired in 2010 as Director of Scheduling and Acquisitions.  She says along with the compliment that she was on the VP track, she received a good performance review from her supervisor. Hommel was replaced by a temp employee while she was on maternity leave but when she returned, many of her duties had been reassigned to that employee and she was left out of important meetings.

She gave birth in February 2012 and one month later, she was told she was being laid off. Hommel states that she was told to apply for the vice president job but someone else was hired. She also states that her boss Michael Garner, also named in the lawsuit, made up an entirely different performance review that made Hommel’s position seem less than senior and therefore, she wouldn’t qualify for a vice president position.

Now, we all know OWN was going through it after it launched in 2011 so it is plausible that she just got caught in the shuffle trying to keep the network afloat; however, Hommel says she was demoted and eventually let go because she got pregnant and took leave.

The damages she’s seeking are unspecified.

It should be noted that Oprah is not named in the lawsuit so it doesn’t have anything to do with her directly.  However, she’s probably well aware of what’s going on because something like this is the last thing she needs to deal with on top of still trying to get some ratings.

OWN reps chose not to comment on the situation.