HUGs Café
What is HUGs Café?
HUGs Cafe partners with local Black-owned cafes to provide safe spaces for new black mamas, birthing people, and caretakers of infants in the community to come and connect once a week over a free beverage and food. HUGs Cafe’s mission and vision is to:
Honoring new black mamas/parents
Provide space to break postpartum isolation
Normalizing postpartum conversations and culture in society.
HUGs is a collaborative initiative between Mothers for Postpartum Justice, Black Women Birthing Justice, BelovedBirth Black Centering and Tia NoMore.
HUGs For The One Who
Births The World
by Nanaama Raine
A warm embrace For the one who brings new life
We call you Mother! Oh Mama! Our *Awofo!
In a dream without you. We weep
Our champion and nurturer
Our anchor, our protector
In a world with you. We leap
You are Mother! Oh Mama! Our *Awofo!
Traveling to your depths you birth our future
Blooming like a lower you see your future
As your world stops ours keeps going
In this lonely new world, you love harder
In the uncertainty, you push further
Anxious nights and dizzying days become friends
When understanding and compassion offends
You are Mother! Oh Mama! Our *Awofo!
Your newborns eyes soak up your Loving gaze
And spills to part our streets with grace
Your warmth soothes the coldest souls
Your teachings light the darkest colds
You sacrifice for your kids to thrive
Even when they only survive
You are Mother! Oh Mama! Our *Awofo!
We Honor you. We celebrate you
Our gratitude weaves a basket to carry your joys
We offer a sweet honeycomb to nurse your sores
Here is our loving embrace to bring new light
To be a beacon in your night
So that your love may continue to shine bright
Upon the children who are dear to us
For your child become ours
As yours have become yours
And together, we care for our village
In this Honoring and Unifying Gathering
You are Mother! Oh Mama! Our *Awofo!
Awofo translates literally to Birthing Person in the Akan language of West Africa.
