Melanin Mothers Meet
Waking Up Our Ancestral Instincts
Melanin Mothers Meet provides safe spaces for women of color to express themselves without judgement, be themselves without hate, and love themselves without hesitation!
Melanin Mothers Meet (M3)
2nd Annual
Black Maternal Health Week Celebration!
#OurBodiesBelongToUs
We would like to thank The City of Tallahassee for presenting us with a Proclamation in 2022 for this cause, as we continue to move forward with spreading the awareness of Black Maternal Health Week!
(BMHW April 11th-17th)
April 12, 2023
SAVE THE DATE
Town Hall Meeting
(In Person)
Where:
Children Services Council (CSC)
2002 Old St. Augustine Rd. Building A,
Suite A-50
Tall, FL 32301
6p
Melanin Mothers Meet Townhall will provide an open forum for community members to engage with one another and receive answers to their most pressing questions from qualified experts who are also part of the community.
Happy National Breastfeeding Month & Happy Black Breastfeeding Week!
August 25-31, 2022
This year we have a couple of special edition sessions and we are excited about it all! Tune in Melanin Mamas and Families to hear of all the greatness!
Voting Mamas Matter
Shelia Morris
Shelia is a native of Tallahassee, Florida. Graduate of
Florida A & M University. Shelia has worked in the
Health arena for the past 30 years. Shelia exemplifies
character, courage, and commitment by her long-
standing commitment to serving the health needs of
everyone where they live worship & play. Shelia’s
previous work history include Disease Intervention
Specialist, HIV/AIDS Educator, HIV/AIDS Prevention &
Training Consultant, Minority Health Coordinator,
HIV/AIDS Part C Coordinator, Prevention & Outreach
Program Manager, Independent Contractor, Event
Planner, Community Empowerment Network,
Community Organizer/Activist. Shelia enjoys spending
time with her Daughter (Shakara) & family, reading,
shopping, and meditating. In Shelia’s spare time, she
gives back to the community by volunteering, from
feeding the homeless to coordinating empowerment
workshops, Organizing Health & Economic
Development Community fairs. Shelia’s efforts to reach
men, women and children have resulted in stronger
families, Resilience, and improvement of overall health
in Leon & surrounding counties.
Shelia is a member of several Organizations &
Community boards. Tallahassee Urban League Crime
Prevention Board, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Incorporated, Frenchtown Rising (Volunteer
Community Board Member), Minority Alliance for
Advocating Community Awareness (Volunteer),
Anderson Chapel A.M.E Church Senior Day
Community Health Program (Founding Organizer),
Talk with The Women Community Empowerment,
Giving Others Opportunity (Community Liaison),
Fantasy Island Enterprises. (Advisor), Creator of
Sangria Empowerment Network LLC
Shelia’s Motto is Strive for Success & Nothing Less!
Black Breastfeeding Week Series
8p Tuesday 8.23.22
Cetta Barnhart “Breastfeeding starts in your backyard: Foods For a Successful Milk Supply”
8p Wednesday 8.24.22
Ariane “Oyere” Randolph “Melanoid Breastmilk: The Politics of Black Breastfeeding”
7p Thursday 8.25.22 Nasheeda Pollard “Magical Milk”
8p Monday 8.29
Karimah “The Healing Milk”
An Herbal Perspective on Breastfeeding
8p Tuesday 8.30.22
Dykibra Gaskin
“Black Breastfeeding Week:
An IBCLC Perspective”
5th Annual Black Breastfeeding Panel
Bring the Family!
The 2022 5th Annual Black Breastfeeding Week Panel is the first of it's kind. There is no other panel like it in the world that effectively meets the specific and diverse educational needs of Black Mothers and Black Families. There are black owned vendors/exhibitors with tools and educational resources to support the mental, physical and spiritual health of The Black Family. This panel helps black families navigate through adversity to help guide them to happy breastfeeding experiences with support groups who they trust, relate to and can be candid with.
July is Firbroid Awareness Month!
This Month We are Focused on Women's Womb Wellness!
Pelvic Floor Trauma
Dr. Justine Roper
Dr. Justine Roper PT, DPT is a certified women’s pelvic floor physical therapist & pelvic health & wellness coach. She has dedicated her life to offering innovative ways to heal her patients’ bodies of pain and other dysfunction through alternative methods. In addition to being a clinician, she is also a speaker who dedicates her time to promoting education and enlightenment on mental health disorders and beginning a journey towards living a life of freedom after experiencing sexual trauma or abuse. As a wellness coach, she offers dynamic one on one training sessions and group classes that include pelvic floor information in order to optimize her client's quality of daily functional living. As a clinician, she treats many pelvic floor conditions that range from pelvic pain to issues related to pregnancy and childbirth. Proudly, she is the founder of InHer Physique Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy located in Pensacola, FL which is the only clinic that offers pelvic floor physical therapy services to all genders and ages, in the Florida Gulf Coast. She is an author as well as an instructor in the biology department at the University of West Florida.
Writing Womb Wisdom: Releasing Trauma
Jakaila Scaife
Hailing from Bartow, Florida, she is a writer, poet, spoken word artist, and educational consultant. Enrolling as a transfer student at FAMU with 77 college credits, she graduated with her B.S. in History and minor in African-American Studies at age twenty in 2019. As a writer, she self-published her first poetry collection Metamorphosis in 2021. Determined to make an impact in education, she also founded Sesheta Speaks, LLC in 2021, a platform designed to teach neurodivergent women and children about the healing power of writing. Through courses, workshops, and professional services she has aided daycare centers, non-profit organizations, and homeschooling cooperatives to date. Motivated by the light of her warrior teachers and mentors, she seeks to serve as a conduit of spirit and custodian of her ancestors who have guided her on the path of becoming human.
The Healing Baba Series:
Identifying Traumas & Activating Solutions for Fatherhood
Happy Father's Day Everyday!
This month we have a special edition of Fathers (Babas) who will share their wisdom, their drive and their experience! Sit down with your son, your father, your cousin, your nephew, your boyfriend or your husband and join us! This is for our Melanin Families!
Enjoy!
A Song for Mama:
A Tribute to Our Mamas from Son to Father
w/ Royce Lovett
Armed with an unmistakable voice, soulful lyrics and spirited sounds, Royce Lovett released “Better” April 22nd, a much-anticipated single from the genre-bending artist. The single features RMG recording artist Canon. Bringing a much needed breath of fresh air to music, the single’s release follows Lovett’s widely-acclaimed EPs, mostly in the gospel realm. Nonetheless, “Better” still tackles personal themes from Lovett, including supporting and encouraging black women. “Malcolm X reminds us that ‘The black woman is the most forgotten person in America.’ Through this song, I wanted to let women know, I’m here to support you, protect you and even get out of your way, so you can step into your leadership and passion,” said Lovett. Drawing from influences like Bob Marley, Mos Def, and Motown greats, Lovett groomed his lyrical skills for years as an underground emcee. Lovett has been sharpening his genre bending style since beginning his career over a decade ago, stirring up a genuine and authentic style steeped in hip-hop, soul, and rock guitar. Previously signed to Motown Gospel, Lovett released “Love Wins” in 2015, a EP produced by Nate Butler, where he tackled personal themes, outlining holding fast to faith and winning at love. He then followed with “Love and Other Dreams” in 2017, produced by Max Stark, fusing hip-hop, soul and rock to showcase his unmistakable voice and profound lyricism. Lovett competed on season 17 of NBC’s The Voice in 2019, as well as gave a 2017 TEDxBerkeley talk titled “Love, Purpose and Security” where he expresses his message of love through shared experiences with music. Eventually, Lovett left Motown Gospel to pursue more independence with his music. Lovett is now signed to Paravel Global Entertainment. The talented artist has toured the globe and performed alongside Wale, Vince Staples, Jeremy Camp, George Clinton P-Funk and others. He’s received acclaim from BET, Jet Magazine, and more. Lovett plans to go out on tour later this year.
An Elder's Perspective on Midwifery
w/ Baba Olusegun
Educator, Folklorist, Historian, Musician and Storyteller.
Baba Olusegun Samuel G. Williams was born in Washington, DC and he grew up
in Atlanta, GA. He majored in Psychology and is a 1968 graduate of Morehouse
College, where his father was chair of the Department of Philosophy & Religion
and was a teacher/mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Olusegun was one 12 African American men who became commissioned officers
in the US Coast Guard in 1969, thus increasing the number of black
commissioned officers in the Coast Guard from two to fourteen. Before receiving
his commission, he was part of the military honor guard on the platform at Richard
Nixon’s first term inauguration in January, 1969. From 1973 to 1980, Olusegun worked in radio broadcasting. He was an
announcer/dj and music director at WEDR (99.1 fm) in Miami during the height of
the Watergate scandal that engulfed Richard Nixon. In 1974, he moved to WKAT
(1360 am), a CBS Network affiliate, to serve as a producer, recording studio
director, and assistant chief engineer. He was editor for CBS Radio Network post
game coverage of Super Bowl X in 1976 and was assigned by WKAT to cover the
1980 Arthur McDuffy Civil Disturbance in Miami in 1980.
Olusegun worked from 1977 to 1987 at Miami Dade Community College. There he
taught radio production and cable tv installation.
Since moving to Tallahassee in 1987, Olusegun has been an integral part of
Tallahassee’s cultural community in the area of African drumming & dance, and
theater. He has been affiliated with FAMU’s Orchesis Contemporary Dance
Theater and the Essential Theater as well as the African Caribbean Dance
Theater. He was the organizer of Phoenix Uprising Reggae Band, one of
Tallahassee’s most popular bands during the 1990’s. Bob Marley’s mother,
Cedella Booker, invited the band to be a part of the 1994 Bob Marley Festival
Tour.
Other areas of interest to Olusegun include African Religions,
Astronomy/Astrophysics, Aviation, Bicycle Racing, Camping, Egyptology,
Genetics, History, Neuroscience, Photography, Sailing, and Scuba Diving.
Life is Like a Rubic's Cube
Dr. Derrick Standifer
“My vision is to teach one million people how to solve the twists and turns of life.” – Derrick Standifer
Derrick Standifer is one of the most energetic youth motivational speakers in the United States. His speech Life is Like a Rubik’s Cube is inspiring, entertaining, and is simply breathtaking.
His story of triumph, persistence, and overcoming tragedies has motivated more than 20,000 students, parents, and educators to solve the Twists and Turns of their Life.
Derrick has written a book entitled Life is Like A Rubik’s Cube that details how he went from a college dropout to a PHD candidate. His book has been translated into a personal development curriculum for high schools, mentoring organizations, and colleges and universities.
Now he hosts workshops, seminars, and mastermind sessions to provide strategies that help people avoid the same mistakes that he has made and maximize their full potential.
Derrick lives in Tallahassee, Florida with his two 'beautyfully' trouble making babies, Ayana and Derrick Jr. He recently finished his doctoral program studies in Educational Leadership and earned his PhD at Florida A&M University.
Celebrating the Legacy of Baba Zaid Haynes through Art & Medicine
Dr. Zaid Haynes
I was introduced to Acupuncture while working as an instructor in the Black Studies Department at Northeastern University in Boston. (I had previously traveled to and worked in Tanzania, East Africa. For a year. I was later to return to Africa again three times since then to investigate our culture and our people). I actually received my first Acupuncture treatment in Tanzania.
I enrolled at the New England School of Acupuncture and graduated in 1977. My teacher was Dr. James T.Y. So, a Master Teacher. His personal conduct and knowledge has had a profound influence on my approach to the practice of medicine.
Along with medicine, Art is a lifelong pursuit. Very personal and very therapeutic.
The Cultural Components of Maternal & Paternal Health
Dr. Amandla Haynes & Dr. Atum Boukman (Adam Baptiste)
Dr. Haynes is an advocate for the BIPOC birth community, supporting efforts to improve birth outcomes and reduce health inequities. In her volunteer roles, she serves as chair of the Awareness Workgroup of the Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative, Advisor for the Sister Friends Tallahassee Birthing Project, and Board Member and Health Educator for the Melanin Mothers Meet Postpartum Support Program. At her core, Dr. Haynes is a holistic healer, wife, mother, mentor, an active local and international community member, a bilingual travel guide, and a lover of food and culture.
Dr. B, aka Bro. Boukman, aka A.B., aka (Adam Baptiste, MD), is a family-oriented man Physician-Researcher, Educator,
Farmer-Gardener, amongst many other roles. He aims to assist people in practical and meaningful ways. Rooted in
justice and equity, his interest in health is aimed at wellness, and correcting disparities for the groups that experience
them greatest. Taking special regard to serve indigenous, aboriginal, melanoid, rural, and underserved populations. Dr. B
holds an entrepreneurial position as the Chief executive of Balancing Being, a lifestyle company, that offers a variety of
services and products from auricular acupuncture to academic advising and apparel. He is an educator working with
Health Science Consulting (HSC) and The Family Agency (TFA) to train and inspire the next generation of health
professionals. He is affiliated with Florida State University College of Medicine employed as a Researcher & Coordinator
for the Center for Behavioral Health Integration within the Department of Behavioral Sciences & Social Medicine. Much of
his current work there is focused through initiatives that prioritize Perinatal Mental Health and Pediatric Behavioral
Health. He aspires to improve and include the paternal involvement and perspective in this work, ultimately working
toward wholistic mental/behavioral health practices to be implemented for families. Through the FL Maternal Mental
Health Collaborative and the FL BH IMPACT Program, Dr. B and the team he collaborates with aim to promote awareness
and build the capacity of health care providers to address the critical gaps in the care of our nation's women, children
and their families. Although focused in Florida, his efforts are for the work he engages to contribute to policy change,
not only locally, but also at state, national, and international levels.
MA'AT: Assisting Mamas During Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery
Baba Jah--Sun Bey
Minister Of Wholistic Health & Wellness, Dynamic Speaker, Life Coach, Motivator & Edutainer - 3rdEyeVisionsUnlimited.com presents Jah--Son (a.k.a Montego El Xaymakali Bey) from Love AnkhTM. If you are ready for the lifting of the veil, the Universal L.A.W., Eating The Light & ShineTM, AnhkologyTM, HistographyTM, Natural Pregnancy, Birthing, Breastfeeding, VaxFree Living and much moor…Then this enlightening and dynamic Lecturer, Edutainer, Raw Food Educator, Metaphysician, Numerologist, Phonetic SpiritTM, Reiki Master, Blue Dragon Qi-Gong Educator, Iridiologist, White Overtone Wizard, Musician, Poet, Writer, Aerospace Engineer, Father and out of the box Visionary is what the multiverse delivered.
Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month! Our focus is on making sure our Melanin Mothers have tools and resources to navigate through their times of need!
The Post Partum Journey: Discovering & Preparing Motherhood
Tiara Flynn
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Finding yourself after having your baby can be a task if you are unfamiliar with what to look for. Discover the greater good of the postpartum journey and see what preparing and discovering through the essence of mothering and what it looks like.
As a full-spectrum doula, Tiara is a
non-medically trained community worker who offers support to people during the full
spectrum of pregnancy – from preconception to birth, to abortion, to miscarriage, to
adoption, and postpartum. Tiara launched her practice, Phenomenal Mama, in August 2021!
Phenomenal Mama is a doula practice that offers services from prenatal, birth planning,
support during labor, postpartum support, and more.
The Phenomenal Mama philosophy is that all expectant mothers and birthing people
deserve empowerment, support, advocacy, comfort, and encouragement. With the
Phenomenal Mama experience, families will be educated, supported, and have an advocate
in their parenting journey from the very beginning.
“Life is not introduced upon arrival; it is nourished, nurtured, and cultivated at conception.”
– Tiara Flynn.
Anxiety and It's Impact on Mothering
Dr. Yolanda Bogan
Wednesday May 4, 2022
Video Call
Being a Mother, especially a Melanin Mother, life can be taxing! Discover healthy ways to navigate through it all with this powerful session, as a Melanin Mother, you DON'T want to miss it!
Dr. Yolanda K.H. Bogan is a licensed psychologist and licensed mental health counselor supervisor in the state of Florida. She is CEO/Owner of Dr. Yolanda Bogan & Associates, PLLC, a culturally competent psychotherapy practice. Her thirty years of experience includes working in outpatient, inpatient, faith-based, and higher education counseling settings. She has studied and provided therapy services related to women’s issues including depression, sexual assault, substance abuse and women’s health. Her practice focuses on African American women with depression, anxiety and trauma. Her clinical work in maternal mental health focuses on maternal support and empowerment, role transitions and values identification. She is married to her college sweetheart, and they have three grown sons, two of whom are Navy officers.
Moms Healing While Grieving
Cutina Francis
Thursday May 12, 2022 8pm
Video Call
Getting back to yourself after a loss can be tough, whether a child, a loved one or a spouse, it sometimes gets harder to move forward. Join our Life Coach, as she shares her experience and wisdom to help us all get through Grief!
Cutina has raised her loving 28-year-old son and currently raises her eight- year-old daughter. Cutina's third child passed away in 2017. The struggles of this loss amongst many other traumas, led her into depression and ultimately stuck in life. After rigorous and committed self-healing practices, Cutina formed GUTAH Consulting and Product Services. GUTAH is an acronym for Get Up Today and Heal. She is a Transformational Life Coach where she encourages and assists women to get up out of their mess and keep going after the unfortunate loss of a child. She offers 1:1 coaching, group mentoring and custom healing designs to foster a mentally healthy environment. Her mission in life is to be of servitude to as many humans as possible in as many capacities necessary.
Happy Black Maternal Health Week!!!
April 11-17, 2022
Please View the Recordings Below!
Our Services
We provide training, coaching, and consulting to help African American women/mothers have healthy pregnancies, postpartum care, and successful breastfeeding experiences.
Our services are available for individuals, groups, and corporations.
About Us
Being a mother can be overwhelming, especially after the birth of a baby. Multiple children? No problem, we will help care for children too! M3 offers a postpartum care task force for mothers in this stage to help alleviate stress, depression, and/or fear by providing assistance in cooking, childcare, cleaning and conversation.
Don't have any children yet? No problem, we still need your help! Need volunteer hours? M3 would love to connect with you! Ask us how!
Melanin Mothers Meet Team Members
"If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together."
Melanie Andrade Williams
Legislative Manager-Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, Founding Member of Dream Defenders, entrepreneur, mom of 3. After the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012, Melanie joined the struggle for Justice as a community organizer and activist. She fights for equitable laws at the local and state level in Florida with a focus on the cradle to prison pipeline and reproductive justice.
Instagram:
@thatmword_
Christina Compere
Hello, my name is Christina Compere Minor.
I am a mom, wife and lover of promoting greatness! Delivering fresh ideas as an online producer and social media manager for small businesses or non-profit organizations is the highlight of my life.
Instagram:
@ccmediamogul
Dykibra Gaskin,
MS, RD, LD/N, CBS
She has over 14 years’
experience as a Pediatric Dietitian and 10 years’ experience as a breastfeeding counselor.
In 2021 she became an IBCLC and in May of 2022, she will be moving to a full-time
position at Tallahassee Memorial as a Pediatric Dietitian. She has been married for 15
years to her college sweetheart and they are the parents of 2 beautiful daughters ages 7
and 3, both breastfed over 3 years each.
Instagram:
@breastfeeding4Real
Dr. Amandla Haynes
Dr. Haynes is an advocate for the BIPOC birth community, supporting efforts to improve birth outcomes and reduce health inequities. In her volunteer roles, she serves as chair of the Awareness Workgroup of the Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative, Advisor for the Sister Friends Tallahassee Birthing Project, and Board Member and Health Educator for the Melanin Mothers Meet Postpartum Support Program. At her core, Dr. Haynes is a holistic healer, wife, mother, mentor, an active local and international community member, a bilingual travel guide, and a lover of food and culture.
Instagram:
@niatraveltours_amandla
Ani-Ra Kala Ɔyere
(Ariane L. Randolph)
I am Ani-Ra Kala Ɔyere (Ariane L. Randolph). I am the seed of my Ancestral Mother’s calabash, mother of 7 beautiful children, and wife of 16 years. I am the author of the Melanoid Breastmilk ~ a book that advocates for breastfeeding in the Afrikan=Black Family, by any means necessary; and my purpose is to help families transform their lives through Revolutionary Impact!
Instagram:
@melanoidbreastmilk
Chauntee Howard
Tallahassee native - DONA trained Birth Doula - Homebirth and Breastfeeding Advocate - Mom of 2
Having successfully given birth to both of her daughters at home, Chaunteé discovered the need for higher quality care for melanated wombmen transitioning into motherhood. As a birth doula and breastfeeding advocate, her objective is to empower and embrace through continued education, expansion of conversation, and supporting melanin mothers to ensure positive birth experiences.
Instagram:
@numoondoula
Camille Lewis
Camille Lewis is an experienced educator and community advocate, she is the creator of Earth’s Garden. Earth’s Garden is a garden maintenance and installation company that is committed to empowering families and individuals with the knowledge and tools to grow their own food.
Her passions include urban farming and providing gardening education and resources to local children. It is her hope that through education, a positive impact can be made in the community.
Instagram:
@Earthsgardenllc
Re'Shaun Blake
Re’Shaun Blake is an up and coming trailblazer in the homeschool, academic, and local community.
She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with a major in Early Childhood Education. She was recently admitted into a doctoral program where she plans to earn her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a major in Reading Education and Language Arts.
In addition to being a graduate student, Re’Shaun is a preschool consultant, private tutor, and owner of O.U.R. Educational Enterprise, a company dedicated to producing culturally-rich, high-quality curriculum material.
Instagram:
@ofuniqueroots
Melanin Mothers Meet: Testimonials
A word from our founder and others who have been influenced by M3!
Founder: Trishay
(Mama Yata)
Nana, The Alley Shoppe
Professor Iyanu, FAMU
Melanie, Tallahassee, FL
Chauntee, Tampa, FL
Re'Shaun, Tallahassee, FL
Wallisha, Tallahassee, FL
-Queen Taese, Founder/CEO of Liberated Black Homeschool & Education Institute
Sherraine, Jacksonville, FL
Reflections: Melanin Mothers Meet M3
Accountable • Responsible • Inspirational
M3 holds each other accountable so it can expand into our communities.
M3 will beat the odds, fighting not only to bring our mothers together, but our children and fathers.
M3 encourages you to keep your eyes on the road ahead, while comprehending the road behind you.