Before the Breaking Point: Healing Mothers, Preventing Tragedy

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges faced by mothers, particularly Black mothers, and introduces a community-based program aimed at prevention and support.

In this powerful and timely episode of Conversations with Drea, I'm joined by Melissa Forde, Director of a family prevention program in NYC and a long-time advocate for mothers and children. Melissa was recently interviewed in the news following the heartbreaking discovery of a premature infant found in a garbage can in Brooklyn-a story that shook our community and raised urgent questions about how mothers fall through the cracks long before crisis occurs. Together we unpack what prevention really looks like on the ground, the barriers Black mothers and mothers of color face when seeking help, and the emotional weigh many women carry in silence. This conversation also marks the introduction of the Rooted Mama Project: Healing the Mother to Heal the Child- a community based healing and parenting program designed to support Black mothers of infants and toddlers before they reach a breaking point. We discuss why this work is so desperately needed, how Rooted Mama fills critical gaps in care, and what becomes possible when mothers are met with compassion instead of judgement.

People in this episode

Host: Andrea Eliza Munroe-Kulima

Guest: Melissa Forde

Topics covered

• motherhood
• mental health
• community support
• preventive care
• Black mothers
• emotional well-being

Keywords

• mothers
• mental health
• community support
• Rooted Mama Project
• Black mothers
• infants
• parenting
• emotional support

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rooted Mama Project

Places: NYC, Brooklyn