Mahogany Momology's Podcast

Topic: Common Law Marriage With the increase of cohabitation are we confusing common law marriage with real marriage? Is there a costly mistake. Mel and Tash will continue the conversation   Mahogany Momologist of the Week: Taraji P Henson.  She is going to be honored with her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year.     Save the Date Dallas: Live Show on Feb. 23 powered by New Hope Christian Academy and Mama Moore Gourmet Popcorn.  If you are a local business and want in on the Popcorn and Prosecco fun email us at mahoganymomology@gmail.com.  Limited Seats will be available soon!   Resources:  Which States Recognize Common Law Marriage?https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/living-together-book/chapter2-4.html Common Law Marriage Fact Sheet http://www.unmarried.org/common-law-marriage-fact-sheet/ Fact or Fiction: Five Myths about Common Law Marriage https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/fact-or-fiction-five-myths-about-common-law-marriage Cohabitation: Background and Legal Issues. Findlaw.c

The struggles with infertility are not new in the medical community. Technologies in science have allowed success in assisted reproduction. However, the process can be traumatic and isolating. Even Michelle Obama has revealed issues of infertility and miscarriage in her book, Becoming. Why this issue of conception so taboo in the Black community? Today, we’re discussing the journey of having a “Rainbow baby” with our guest, Tiffany Finley. Guest Momologist, Tiffany Finley Tiffany Finley is Founder of My Predestined One, faith-based, non-profit in Dallas, Texas providing support, resources, education, and encouragement to women and couples affected by premature birth, and women and couples struggling to conceive due to an infertility diagnosis. She is also a writer and blogger at TiffanyFinley.com, where she openly shares about her journey to motherhood after being diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in her mid-20’s. Website: https://www.tiffanyfinley.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tif

In recent weeks Instagram star Blac Chyna caused an uproar with her endorsement of a skin lightening cream. Getting paid for promotional products and services can come at a cost to one’s audience and followers. Frequent use of bleach whitening creams can be interpreted as self hate. Replace bleach whitening creams with weaves or having blonde hair, and one can argue the same premise. What long term outcomes do we see with our children (particularly black/brown girls) with the media diminishing our natural appearances? Are we seeing a trend in highlighting black girls/women natural beauty? Do we have a long way to go? Let’s discuss the beauty of being a black girl.   Momologist of the Week: LaTashia M. Perry. Ms. Perry is a wife, mother of five and Children’s author, and Flint, MI native. LaTashia Perry is the Founder and CEO of Kids Like Mine and the author of the 'Like Mine' children's picture book series. LaTashia is committed to enriching and empowering the lives of children through positive affirmations

In today’s topic, we will explore advocating for your child’s education. Whether it is academic achievement, social/emotional growth, or even having the best resources for their respective sport, we are discussing what this looks like for the current African American family.   Marvelous Mahogany Mom: Phaedra Burton Phaedra Burton is our Mahogany Momologist of the Week. This mother of two showed up and showed out in a video for the #cardibmoneychallenge.  www.facebook.com/com/34404586/posts/10104399048234215 Nominate a mom today emailing us or going on to our website.   Mom Group of the Week: Sol Mamas are folks from all tribes building friendship, extended family and community while enjoying the outdoors and a host of other activities. Enjoy toddler play dates, field trips, group fitness classes, and more. Based in the Bay Area of California you can check them out on MeetUp  - www.meetup.com/sol-mamas Resources Griffin, D (2012) The need for advocacy with African American parents. Counseling Today; Retrieve

“Impostor Syndrome” is all about not feeling confident about your accomplishments, skills, or capabilities, especially when you’re setting off to do something new in your career or life. The term was first coined by clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, in 1978, who described individuals who had a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” This concept has always been a discussion among successful women, and it is gaining more traction as girls outperform boys in the classroom, more women graduate college and are obtaining executive positions typically held by men. Sheryl Sandberg’s book, “Lean In” comes to mind with Impostor Syndrome. Let’s discuss Impostor Syndrome and what it means as a mom and especially as a black woman.   Episode Sponsor: First Stream Cleaning Service Isn’t it time you got your house or apartment cleaned?  Maybe you need an extra pair of hands? Check out First Stream Cleaning Service for your post event, routine house cleaning, or even business cleaning services.  

Mahogany Momology was invited to join Tynee Talks to talk about Old School Vs. New School in Black Parenting.  Tynee Talks: http://www.tyneetalks.com/     Continue the Discussion, Download, Subscribe, Rate, Like, Follow Us, and Share on: Twitter: @MMomology Insta: @mahoganymomology FB: @MahoganyMomology Email Us: Mahoganymomology@gmail.com

Veterans Day is around the corner. We thank our servicemen and women for their sacrifice and dedication to our country. We can imagine being a military spouse can be a life of constant change and isolation. Having a partner on deployment can be saddening and disruptive to a natural routine. We have a military mom and spouse in our studio to discuss her daily routine. Welcome Yvonne Gentry Cottrell.   Guest Momologist: Yvonne Gentry Cottrell. Originally from San Diego, California but currently live in Texas, Yvonne has a degree in Liberal Studies (education), a multi-subject teaching credential,  a masters in Reading and Language Arts and credentialed as a Reading Specialist. She is married to a Navy man named Eric and they have a 6-year-old son. Yvonne was a teacher and trained teachers for a total of 17 years.  She have been a military spouse for 8 years and is currently teaching preschool here in Texas. Yvonne has a strong interest in supporting military spouses who are in search for a professional career w

Topic: The Effects of Unresolved Trauma on Parenting Parental emotion regulation and coping skills in dealing with stressful events in life have a significant impact on the child’s emotional and social development, especially during infancy and early school years. Children typically learn to regulate their emotions better if their parents manage their own stress well. In contrast, unsupportive, distressed parenting can induce less effort in children to regulate their emotions and use effective coping skills in response to stress. We will discuss the unresolved effects of trauma when it comes to parenting with guest momologist and Behavior Specialist, Marcella Tarpley   Guest Momologist: Marcella Tarpley A native Californian and educator for over 20 years, Marcella Ann Tarpley is currently a Behavior Support Specialist for the Moreno Valley Unified School District. She holds two Master’s Degrees, one in Special Education and the other in Teaching. She has taught students with disabilities in grades 3-12 and ha

Mel and Tash decided to not "just scratch the surface" in episode 21...so here is the continuation of episode 21, The Incarcerated Mom, the Bonus Episode with Guest Momologist, LaHeather Wilson.   Moms Group To Check Out:  National Bail Out. The week before Mother’s day organizations in dozens of cities across the country will bail out as many mothers as possible who otherwise would spend Mother’s Day in a cell simply because they cannot afford bail.   National Black Mama’s Bail Out Day will give incarcerated mothers an opportunity to spend Mother’s Day with their families and build community through gatherings that highlight the impact of inhumane and destructive bail practices on our communities!  https://nomoremoneybail.org/   Producer: Greenville Ave. Studios  - http://www.greenvilleaverecordingstudio.com/    Continue the Discussion, Download, Subscribe, Rate, Like, Follow Us, and Share on: Twitter: @MMomology Insta: @mahoganymomology FB: @MahoganyMomology Email Us: Mahoganymomology@gmail.com

Topic: The Incarcerated Mom The number of moms in prisons continue to rise. Of the 220,000 women currently locked up, 60% are being held in jail pretrial, 80% are mothers, and 60% are black.This lasting impact of imprisonment can effect on not only children, but the entire family. Today will discuss enduring motherhood during incarceration with our guest momologist, LaHeather Wilson.   Guest Momologist: LaHeather Wilson LaHeather Wilson is native of Longview, Texas. LaHeather is inspiration speaker, certified peer recovery specialist and advocate.  She is also the owner of Peace Buy an interior consulting company. Her 2014 award winning documentary “I AM MORE” won a Lone Star Emmy Award and was nominated for a National Emmy Award.  Her inspiring documentary depicts her heartfelt journey from tragedy to triumph. Her story has been in various arenas such as television, The Hollywood Reporter, and the Examiner. She is the recipient of the 2015 Winner’s Circle Unsung Hero Award and 2016 God’s Leading Ladies Lifet

Philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes. Wealth is directed correlated to he level of giving. Although the level of wealth is far less than the white household, African Americans have a long standing history of providing to philanthropic causes. We (Black/African Americans) don’t consider ourselves as such. Blacks and African Americans actually donated a higher percentage of their incomes to charity than any other ethnic group in this country. Most notably the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) was constructed in part by fundraising and established philanthropies. Today, we will discuss the state of philanthropy among African American women. Welcome our guest, Akilah Wallace.   Guest Momologist: Akilah S. Wallace Akilah is Executive Director for Faith in Texas, a multi-racial faith based, social justice organization. She has 17+ years of experience as a relationship manager,

Research shows that black women are at greater risk than white women of developing or dying from a handful of cancers, including those of the breast, colon/rectum, lungs, and cervix. The American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that there are more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors living in the U.S. in 2014.  From an Ebony Magazine article, according to ACS’s Cancer Facts & Figures for African American’s 2013-2014, approximately 27,060 new breast cancer cases were expected to occur among African American women.  Breast cancer incidence rates are higher among white women for most age groups. However, among younger women under age 40, the mortality rate of breast cancer is higher in African Americans than in whites. While October is the month of Breast Cancer Awareness, we will chat with one mom is not only surviving cancer herself but so is her son.   Guest Momologist:  Stephanie Cooksey Stephanie Cooksey is a native of North Texas and currently lives in Allen, TX.  She has been married to Marcus Cooks

  Parenting is one of the hardest thing anyone with children can go through in life. Motherhood can be wonderful, but it can also be full of hurt, shame, longing and guilt sometimes. Mothers sacrifice a lot when the responsibility falls on caring for another tiny human. It's a heavy weight and you've dedicated a large portion of your life to that. We are all human it's normal even though many don't want to talk about those moments. In today’s episode, we will discuss the taboo topic of regretting motherhood. Sources: Brown, Lola (June 2017)  Regretting motherhood: What have I done to my life? https://www.todaysparent.com/family/parenting/i-regret-motherhood/ L, Paige () I Am a 27-year-old Struggling Mom and I regret having my child. XO Necole. Retrieved from: http://www.xonecole.com/a-mothers-confession-i-love-my-child-but/ MacKenzie, Jean (3 April 2018) The Mothers Who Regret Having Children. BBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/education-43555736 Fernandez, Elayna How to Overcome Regrets as

Episode 17: Black Moms in the Movement Part 2  Topic: If you listened to Episode 16 you had the opportunity to learn about you can get involved as a candidate.  This week we are going to look at the perspective in being apart of a PAC and being a spouse of a candidate in our Black Moms in the Movement series.  Disclaimer: Our guest was invited by your show hosts and did not pay for this airtime.   Sponsor: DFW Parents looking for childcare check out the Arlington DFW Child Care Professionals website to find a regulated child care professional near you. If you are a Child Care Professional visit their website http://www.arlingtondfwchildcare.org/ to gain information on joining a professional network of Child Care Providers and professional development opportunities.   Guest Momologist: Dr. Keonna Roberts , Ed. D. is a native of Fort Worth, wife, mother and an elementary teacher for the past ten years.  She has worked in education in order to provide students with meaningful content knowledge that they can appl

Episode 16: Black Moms in the Movement If you are one to follow politics and social media, you’ve heard the term #blackwomenlead. If you are NOT into politics, now would be the time to do so--your life and body literally depends on it. We are seeing an uptick of black women running (and winning) their respective campaigns. Well, that’s because black women show up, and do the job is asked of us.  Come listen to our guest momologist that will dive into why you need to run for an office and stop the excuses. Disclaimer: Our guest was invited by your show hosts and did not pay for this airtime.   Guest Momologist: Candice Quarles, Councilwoman of Desoto, TX Place 6 Candice, a native of St. Louis, MO, received her Bachelor’s degree in Personnel Psychology from Missouri Western State University, and thereafter completed a Master’s Degree in Managerial Leadership with an emphasis in Human Resource (HR) Management from Webster University. Candice’s professional career spans over a decade in Human Resources in the pri

Episode 15: The Black Mom Midlife Crisis/Moment Research suggest and age difference between the genders. For men, the ‘crisis’ begins roughly late 40’s-early 50’s, while women start their internal struggle between 35-44. What does the struggle consist of?--is it a feeling of being stuck, personally and professionally? Today we will explore this and what this looks like for black women/mothers. Even the term ‘crisis’ will be explored too.   Examples of Midlife characteristics: Feeling discontent with one’s life or lifestyle including people and activities which may have, at one time, provided more fulfillment Questioning decisions made years earlier Confusion about one’s achievements and questioning why “I failed to manifest the life I thought I would have by now” Confusion about “who am I” beyond the roles assigned by others, both in the workplace and in one’s personal life. Anger, expressed or hidden, over trying to fulfill the expectations of others or wanting their approval, in lieu of pursuing one’s own

Episode 14: Beyond Baby Birth Postpartum health is just as important (if not more important) as prenatal health for new and expectant mothers, especially for Black women. If you listened to our 3rd episode, entitled, The Black Maternal Birthing Experience, with our guest, Jen Sarduy, we discussed many factors contributing to the disparities of healthcare among black women during pregnancy. This serves as the second part from our Black Maternal Health episode. According to Psychology Today, black mothers endure twice the risk of depression, and anxiety compared to our white counterparts, that often go untreated. Today, we will discuss postpartum care--the emotional well being and womb care for a stable, healthy fourth trimester!   Guest Momologist Bio: Sister Freya Mórani is the Founder and CEO of RootMama. She is a certified doula, trained breastfeeding educator, childbirth educator and wellness coach. Sis. Freya provides intuitive and professional support to women, infants and families during preconception,

Episode 13: Successful Co-Parenting, Can’t We All Just Get Along The life changing event of divorce or separation from a partner is mentally taxing on the individuals involved. When children are in this equation, custody battles have the potential to muddy the turbulent situation. Today we will discuss successful co-parenting post-divorce or separation with Guest Momologist, Amye Thompson Hollins   Guest Momologist Bio: Amye Thompson Hollins is the mother of one daughter, Ava Hollins (5).  A lifetime resident of the South Oak Cliff area, Amye received her education in DISD.  She received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Texas A&M University.  She later received a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources from the University of Dallas.  She is now committed to giving back some of what she received through her service in various community organizations. She has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated since 1995 and is currently the President of the Metropolitan Dallas Alumnae C

Episode 12: Adopting While Black From 1999-2017, the total number of adoptions in the United States totaled 271,831, with most adoptions being from birth up to 2 years old, and more girls being adopted than boys. In 2016, 9988 Black or African American children were adopted in the US, compared to 27776 children identifying as White. Over a 13-year period, from 2009-2012, Texas remained one of the top 5 states for adoption, having 13920 adoptees. In 2017, the number of adoptees in Texas was 406. Today, we will be talking with one mother who adopted two African American children, from different states. We will discuss her choice behind adopting.   Guest Momologist: Shannon Powell Hart Shannon Powell Hart has lived throughout the United States, sharing stories as a journalist. Hart’s career began at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she studied radio, TV, and film. The next two decades were filled with opportunities working on-air for stations in Washington, D.C.: Lynchburg, Va.; Greenville, S.C.;

Episode 11: No New Friends It’s been said as we age, it is more difficult to find and sustain friendships. Today, we will discuss the thinking behind the terminology of “No New Friends” and why this is perpetuated among Black women.   Brand Partner: Yara Imani  This podcast is sponsored in part by Yara Imani, an online boutique for African inspired apparel, accessories, and more. Looking for a new style for your professional headshot, family photo or a night on the town, check out their website at www.yaraimani.com and Save 10% when you use the promo code MOMOLOGY Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yaraimani1 Instagram: https://instagram.com/yara.imani   Momology: (Self-limiting) Rationale on NOT making new friends (“I’m lonely):  No one enjoys the same hobbies as I do I don’t care for negative people around me—too much drama and cattiness Meet-up groups are not my type of thing. My partner is the only friend I need. Friendship= only social or professional growth, not companionship I’m introverted; I don’t