THE TERM "REDNECK" ORIGINATED FROM THE RED SUNBURNED NECKS OF FARMERS THAT WORKED IN THE FIELDS. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY IT WAS CHANGED TO DESIGNATE SCUMMY LOW-LIFE POOR WHITE TRASH. THEN ALONG ABOUT THE MID-SIXTIES IT MIRACULOUSLY TOOK ON A DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY. THAT OF A CULTURED INTELLECTUAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL ERUDITE. TO BE REFERRED TO AS A "REDNECK" WAS THEN TRULY A COMPLIMENT. 1967-MAMA'S PLACE, A SLEAZY BEER JOINT NEAR SMACKOVER, ARKANSAS WILL FOREVER HAVE THE FAME OF BEING THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE CULTURED ERUDITE "REDNECK". WARNING: If you are offended by crude, obscene, vulgar and downright sinful language. DO NOT read this book.

When the train arrived in Cottondale, the summer at Bigmama's house in Florida began. Donald Crews brilliantly evokes the sights, sounds, and emotions of a memorable childhood experience. "A very special book by a superb artist and storyteller."--Horn Book.

Mama Can't Hurt Me is the heartrending tale of Wairimu, a lonely country girl who struggles to find independence while quietly suffocating in a strict Christian upbringing. Craving adventure and excitement, she is immediately attracted to Ali, a young man surrounded by a seemingly mysterious and aristocratic aura. Wairimu has a secret admirer--Samuel, a born-again Christian who tries to warn her that Ali is a liar and womanizer who is not to be trusted with her innocence. But Wairimu is not convinced that Ali has undesirable intentions, and she continually sneaks off into the city, where Ali eventually steals her virginity. Her world begins to crumble as she discovers she is pregnant with an illegitimate child who will never be accepted by her staunch Christian family. Called a whore by her parents, Wairimu is chased away from her home and is forced to head back to the city--where she is immediately confronted with the grim realities of life on the streets. Wairimu must take a soul-searching journey, filled with abuse, guilt, betrayal, and raw greed--but with the unconditional love and support from one faithful friend, she will eventually learn that a life lived with regrets is no life at all.

A gorgeously illustrated picture book that is a powerful love letter to chosen families and the village that raises us. A young girl basks in the love of her community--which includes not only her mother but the many different women who make up her world. Home can be a blue house with white trim you share with your mama. But it can be bigger than that, with lots of Big Mamas to take care of you when your mom works—different houses for every day of the week. Mondays mean Nurse Louella and bike riding. Tuesdays mean eating fufu with your fingers with Miss Zikora. And Wednesdays . . . well, no matter where you are, as long as you are with your Big Mamas, you are home. A girl basks in the warmth of her community in this powerful love letter to chosen families and the villages that raise us, from Pushcart Prize-winning author Shay Youngblood and popular illustrator Lo Harris.

Welcome to Martha's Place . . . Martha Hawkins was the tenth of twelve children born in Montgomery, Alabama. There was no money, but her childhood was full of love. Martha's mother could transform a few vegetables from the backyard into a feast and never turned away a hungry mouth. Memories of the warmth of her family's supper table would remain with Martha. Even as a poor single mother without a high school diploma, Martha dreamed of one day opening a restaurant that would make people feel at home. She'd serve food that would nourish body and soul. But time went by and that dream slipped further and further away as Martha battled the onset of what would later become a severe mental illness. But the thing about hitting bottom is that there's nowhere to go but up. Martha decided to step into God's promise for her life. Her boundless faith and joy led her to people who would change her world and lend a helping hand when she most needed and least expected one. Martha's Place is now a nationally known destination for anyone visiting the Deep South and a culinary fixture of life in Montgomery. Martha only hires folks who are down on their luck, just as she once was. High-profile politicians, professional athletes, artists, musicians, and actors visit regularly. Martha has proven many times that keeping the faith makes the difference between failure and success. This is the story of how Martha finally found her place. . . .

Can white moms and Black moms ever truly be friends? Not just mom friends, but like really real friends? And does it matter? “Utterly addictive . . . Through her sharp wit and dynamic anecdotal storytelling, Helena Andrews-Dyer shines a light on the cultural differences that separate Black and white mothers.”—Tia Williams, New York Times bestselling author of Seven Days in June Helena Andrews-Dyer lives in a “hot” Washington, D.C., neighborhood, which means picturesque row houses and plenty of gentrification. After having her first child, she joined the local mom group—“the Mamas”—and quickly realized that being one of the only Black mothers in the mix was a mixed bag. The racial, cultural, and socioeconomic differences were made clear almost immediately. But spending time in what she calls “the Polly Pocket world of postracial parenting” was a welcome reprieve. Then George Floyd happened. A man was murdered, a man who called out for his mama. And suddenly, the Mamas hit different. Though they were alike in some ways—they want their kids to be safe; they think their husbands are lazy; they work too much and feel guilty about it—Andrews-Dyer realized she had an entirely different set of problems that her neighborhood mom friends could never truly understand. In The Mamas, Andrews-Dyer chronicles the particular challenges she faces in a group where systemic racism can be solved with an Excel spreadsheet and where she, a Black, professional, Ivy League–educated mom, is overcompensating with every move. Andrews-Dyer grapples with her own inner tensions, like “Why do I never leave the house with the baby and without my wedding ring?” and “Why did every name we considered for our kids have to pass the résumé test?” Throw in a global pandemic and a nationwide movement for social justice, and Andrews-Dyer ultimately tries to find out if moms from different backgrounds can truly understand one another. With sharp wit and refreshing honesty, The Mamas explores the contradictions and community of motherhood—white and Black and everything—against the backdrop of the rapidly changing world.