Our Mothers' Gardens

Satya Nelms
  • 4.8 (29)
  • Society & Culture
  • Semimonthly Series

Our Mothers’ Gardens explores the complexities of Black women’s relationships with their mothers and how the ways they have been mothered contribute to the women they are today.

  1. Episode 1

    "Creating and Holding Space": In the Garden with Kibibi Devero

    “If you try to speak to your mom and she says she’s always busy or she says doesn’t have time for you, eventually, you begin to feel like no one has time for you, and what you have to say isn’t important. It was really helpful to know that I could talk to my mom or my aunt and they were going to listen to me, and they were going to actually hear me and not just have a surface level response to everything I said.” In this premiere episode of the fourth season I am in the garden with Kibibi Devero. Kibibi and I discuss how she observed the mothers in her life hold space for others and themselves, and we talk about how that affects how she shows up for herself and others a grown woman. Sweet Epiphanies Apothecary owner, Kibibi Devero, remembers knowing three things for sure when choosing her career path. Quite simply, she wanted to: 1. NEVER work in the corporate world. 2. Do meaningful work in the medical field. 3. Leave spiritual work to clergy members. While some things went according to plan and others did not, Ms. Devero knows every step of her journey, thus far, has been a necessary experience ordained by the universe in preparation for the spiritual and natural healing work she loves and shares in support of wellness. After working in the corporate world for 17 years, the global effect of the pandemic was the catalyst for pursuing what she has always known to be her calling. Ms. Devero became acutely aware of the mental, emotional, and physical toll the pandemic had on the world around her. It was then that she decided to immerse herself in her purpose for natural healing. Sweet Epiphanies Apothecary is the culmination of her life experiences, her love of healing, and her ability to create unique formulas that facilitate health and wellness for her clients. Our Mothers’ Gardens is a Honeybunch of Stinkweed Production and features music produced by Ptah. Our Mothers’ Gardens is made possible in part by the generous donations of patrons.

  2. Episode 2

    "Growing Together" : In the Garden with Kristine Mays

    “When I hear the word mother I think of a caretaker. I think of someone who offers love and nurturing in a way that moves people forward and helps them to grow, bloom, and blossom, and ideally it allows them to also extend that offering to other people as they grow up.” In this episode I am in the garden with Kristine Mays. Kristine and I talk about how her relationship with her mother has grown and evolved over the years. Kristine shares her experience growing up with chosen family and how she extends the nurture she received as a child to others. Kristine is an artist currently living and working in San Francisco, California. Independently trained, and a self-described maker for her entire life, she began sculpting with wire, after years of drawing, sketching, sewing, and bead work. Of her current work, Kristine says, "I am honored and humbled that I can spend my life creating art." Our Mothers’ Gardens is a Honeybunch of Stinkweed Production and features music produced by Ptah. Our Mothers’ Gardens is made possible in part by the generous donations of patrons.

  3. Episode 3

    "Making Peace With the Journey" : In the Garden with Brandi Janaan

    “For moms the expectation is that you’re taking care of other people. When you look at how many hours there are in a day, taking care of yourself and other people just doesn’t feel feasible… I can not do everything. I can not be all of the things. I need to take care of myself… A healthy woman is not a woman who gives and gives and gives at her own expense. ” In this episode I am in the garden with Brandi Janaan. Brandi and I talk about how she has learned to navigate and reconcile her complicated relationship with her mother as well as how she has grown inside of her own motherhood. Brandi is a Black woman, mama, and social worker. She lives in Queens, NY and enjoys gardening, reading, yoga, and meditation. Brandi is also the owner of Beloved Wild, a small business offering herbal infused skin and hair care to support self care and energetic wellness. Brandi Janaan is the Director of a community based Family Therapy program in Brooklyn supporting families in crisis. Our Mothers’ Gardens is a Honeybunch of Stinkweed Production and features music produced by Ptah. Our Mothers’ Gardens is made possible in part by the generous donations of patrons.

  4. Episode 4

    "The Stories We Tell" : In the Garden with Cole Arthur Riley

    “The women in my family are storytellers. They understand the importance of storytelling in intimacy and building connection. They know how to draw out stories. They know how to remember well.  If I mirror any part of them today,  it would be that.” In this episode I am in the garden with Cole Arthur Riley. Cole shares how she has learned storytelling from the women in her family, how being conscious of her own story affects the way she shows up in the world, and how understanding the stories of the mothers in her life impacts her relationship with them. Cole Arthur Riley is the spiritual teacher in residence with Cornell’s Office of Spirituality and Meaning Making. She is the creator of Black Liturgies, a space for Black spiritual words of liberation, lament, rage, and rest; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation. Born and for the most part raised in Pittsburgh, Cole studied writing at the University of Pittsburgh. Her debut book, This Here Flesh, will be published by Penguin Random House in February of 2022.

  5. Episode 5

    "Learning and Practicing Grace": In the Garden with Leta Harrison

    “There’s a lot of pressure on women to be these super women, and we can’t do everything. We need rest. We need relief. We need to maybe do one or two things at a time. There’s no merit in being a phenomenal mom, a career driven woman, working out twice a day seven days a week, and doing everything right. You can do that, but there’s a lot of stress involved in that and I think when we fail we don’t give ourselves enough credit for what we have accomplished… I have a great relationship with my children. I’m making great connections with people. I’m setting boundaries. I’m giving myself grace. I’m understanding what my faults have been, and coming to peace with a lot of different things. And sometimes it was really dark, but I’m really grateful that I went through these things because now I really do have an appreciation for myself.” In this episode I am in the garden with Leta Harrison. Leta shares how she leaned into her grandmother and aunt for the nurture and security she didn’t get from her mother, and how she eventually learned to extend that same care to herself. Leta is a freelance photographer living in AUSTIN, TX with her two daughters. She is creating a space of expression for all. Our Mothers’ Gardens is a Honeybunch of Stinkweed Production and features music produced by Ptah. Our Mothers’ Gardens is made possible in part by the generous donations of patrons.

  6. Episode 6

    "Love That Liberates": In the Garden with Kesha Bruce

    “I didn’t have to earn love. I didn’t have to prove that I was good enough. I just was. I was always good enough. My mother taught me that there’s always enough love to go around. You never run out of love.” In this episode I am in the garden with Kesha Bruce. She shares how the way her mother and grandmother raised her made her courageous and confident in who she was and is. Kesha was born and raised in Iowa by a compassionate community of hippies and revolutionaries. She fell in love with drawing during a high-school art class and eventually decided to seek her fortune in the artworld. A week after graduating with a BFA in painting from The University of Iowa, Kesha sold everything she owned and bought a one-way ticket to New York City.  She landed in Brooklyn with a back-pack full of wrinkled clothes, 2 pairs of shoes, and $3000 in cash in her pocket from selling her car. Not only did she survive, she managed to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree from one of the most prestigious painting programs in the country and build a life for herself as a working artist. In short, she’s been exhibiting her work and producing projects and exhibitions in the US and France for almost 20 years. You can find her artwork in the permanent collections of The Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture (aka The Blacksonian), the Amistad Center for Art and Culture, the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies Program, and if you pay attention, you’ll spot a few of her paintings on the set of a Netflix movie or a Shonda Rhimes’ TV show. In addition to her studio work, she’s one of the founders of Black Girl Basel- Miami Art Week’s premier gathering of Black-women artists, entrepreneurs, activists, cultural change-makers, and industry leaders from across the world. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors of Tessera Art Collective, a non-profit organization supporting the work and creative practices of womxn abstract artists of color. Our Mothers’ Gardens is a Honeybunch of Stinkweed Production and features music produced by Ptah. Our Mothers’ Gardens is made possible in part by the generous donations of patrons.

  7. Episode 7

    "Roots & Wings": In the Garden with Dominique

    “My mother’s roots gave me wings. I was deeply rooted. I had no reason to dig deeper into the soil. I could just start spreading my wings and reaching and looking up.” In this episode Dominique shares how the support and stability her mother and grandmother provided for her as she was growing up, gave her a freedom that she is incredibly grateful for, and hopes to pay forward. Dominique (she/they) is a teacher, performer, and yogi whose work is rooted in her belief that art is a tool for liberation in life. Born and raised on Chicago’s south side, she now calls New York City home. Dominique has created and organized art/wellness events from free kids summer art day camps to anger processing workshops. Their biggest claim to fame is a golden ticket on American Idol Season 10 and a few viral videos on TikTok as @theunboundblossom . They are currently performing with a soul funk band “Off Center”, writing a collection of Afro futurist stories and teaching art and yoga all over the city. Our Mothers’ Gardens is a Honeybunch of Stinkweed Production and features music produced by Ptah. Our Mothers’ Gardens is made possible in part by the generous donations of patrons.

  8. Episode 8

    "Speaking Life": In the Garden with Mel Chanté

    “I’m supposed to be serving. I’m supposed to be speaking life into people, just like she spoke life into me. She was always serving people. She taught me that I’m supposed to be open to everybody, and love everyone. Not just the people who are blood. We’re all supposed to serve and help each other.” In this episode Mel Chanté shares her deep spiritual connection with her mother, and how her mother raised her to be thoughtful and intentional with her language. Mel is a poet, author of Brown Butter and a multifaceted artist. Her soothing voice combines spoken word, storytelling and melody into a rhythmic experience. Originally from Boston, MA, Mel is currently living in Brooklyn. She’s the creator of self-talk platform, Vow to Self, and host of its podcast, and leads meditations on The Shine App. She's performed and toured in major cities across the U.S. and Europe, including NYC, Chicago, Charlotte, Atlanta, Copenhagen, Berlin and London. Last year, she released her debut EP, FLO, available on all music streaming services, and is currently working on a full-length album. For more on Mel, visit melchante.com Our Mothers’ Gardens is a Honeybunch of Stinkweed Production and features music produced by Ptah. Our Mothers’ Gardens is made possible in part by the generous donations of patrons.

  9. Episode 9

    "Trusted and Protected": In the Garden with Naomi Nelms

    “You always want to make sure that we know how we want to be treated, and what’s ok with us and what’s not. You want us to care about ourselves and treat ourselves well.” In this episode we are in the garden with my 14 year old daughter Naomi Nelms. In this episode Naomi and I talk about the boundaries we must create to preserve our peace, and the necessary elements of a strong mother-daughter relationship. Our Mothers’ Gardens is a Honeybunch of Stinkweed Production and features music produced by Ptah. Our Mothers’ Gardens is made possible in part by the generous donations of patrons.

  10. Episode 10

    "Ripples of Healing": In the Garden with Satya Tara Nelms

    “There are parts of my childhood that are points of pain for me. There are things that I wish had been different, and ways I wish had been treated, or things I wish had not been said to me. But I’ve realized that I can now do those things for myself.  I don’t have to believe those things I wish  hadn’t been said. And I can say those things to myself that I wish had been said. And it heals not only me in this moment, but it also does something to heal the girl that I was.  That is my favorite part of mothering myself. The healing that doesn’t just go backward and forward, but also radiates out. Like I am healed in the present, but I am also more healed in the future, and there is a part of me that is healed in the past. And the people who are around me get residual healing from having been around me, and being able to bear witness to the way I treat myself.” In this episode I am in the garden with my daughters, Isys and Naomi, talking about the mothering experiences that have shaped me, and my philosophy around mothering them and their brothers. Our Mothers’ Gardens is a Honeybunch of Stinkweed Production and features music produced by Ptah. Our Mothers’ Gardens is made possible in part by the generous donations of patrons.

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4.8
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Our Mothers’ Gardens explores the complexities of Black women’s relationships with their mothers and how the ways they have been mothered contribute to the women they are today.

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