In conversation with Christina Henderson\, Helena talk about her motherhood journey\, and her inspiration for the bo ok and answer a series of questions from the audience. Signed copies of th e book will be available for purchase following the event. This will be an evening to connect with other moms and share experiences about their jour ney with motherhood in Washington D.C. You can learn more about Helena\, a nd the book below. Copies of The Mamas will be available for the first 50 attendees courtesy of the DC Library Foundation.
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Helena An drews-Dyer
\nHelena Andrews-Dyer is an award-winning cultur e reporter for The Washington Post\, covering the intersection of popular culture\, race\, politics and art in the nation&rsquo\;s capital. She&rsqu o\;s written about actress Sheryl Lee Ralph&rsquo\;s finally getting her f lowers\, Vice President Kamala Harris&rsquo\;s deep connection to her Blac k sorority\, and the portrayal of black fatherhood in the film &ldquo\;Kin g Richard.&rdquo\; In 2020\, Helena was awarded two National Association o f Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Awards for her long-form feature &ldquo\;This Isn&rsquo\;t Another Horror Story About Black Motherhood.&rdq uo\;
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Councilmember Christina Henderson
Christin a Henderson is an At-Large member of the Council of the District of Columb ia. Christina&rsquo\;s career has been guided by the principle that one&rs quo\;s zip code should not determine your opportunity for success. Prior t o her election in 2020\, Christina advised Sen. Chuck Schumer on education \, workforce\, postal and census issues. She previously served in various capacities in DC government\, including working at the Council and for DC Public Schools. The daughter of an Army veteran and a retired Transport Wo rkers Union Local 100 member\, Christina received her BA in Political Scie nce from Furman University in Greenville\, SC and her Master in Public Aff airs degree from Princeton University. Christina lives in the Petworth nei ghborhood with her husband Nu\, their daughters Jordan and Cameron\, and r escue dog Langston.
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\nHelena Andrews-Dyer lives in a &ldquo\;hot&rd quo\; Washington\, D.C.\, neighborhood\, which means \;picturesque row houses and plenty of gentrification. After having her first child\, she&n bsp\;joined the local mom group&mdash\;&ldquo\;the Mamas&rdquo\;&mdash\;an d 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&nb sp\;&ldquo\;the Polly Pocket world of postracial parenting&rdquo\; was a w elcome reprieve. Then George \;Floyd happened. A man was murdered\, a man who called out for his mama. And suddenly\, the Mamas hit differently. Though they were alike in some ways&mdash\;they want their kids to be saf e\; they think their husbands are lazy\; they work too much and feel guilt y about it&mdash\;Andrews-Dyer realized she had an entirely different set of problems that \;her neighborhood mom friends could never truly unde rstand.
\nIn \;The Mamas\, \;Andrews-Dyer chronicles the par ticular challenges she faces in a group where systemic racism can be solve d with an Excel spreadsheet and where she\, a Black\, professional\, Ivy L eague&ndash\;educated mom\, is overcompensating with every move. \;And rews-Dyer grapples with her own inner tensions\, like &ldquo\;Why do I nev er leave the house with the baby and without my wedding ring?&rdquo\; and &ldquo\;Why did every name we considered for our kids have to pass the r&e acute\;sumé\; test?&rdquo\; Throw in a global pandemic and a nationw ide movement for social justice\, and Andrews-Dyer ultimately tries to fin d out if moms from different backgrounds can truly understand one another.
\nWith sharp wit and refreshing honesty\, \;The Mamas \;exp lores the contradictions and community of motherhood&mdash\;white and Blac k and everything&mdash\;against the backdrop of the rapidly changing world .
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