About Cocoa Mamas

contact us at

cocoamamas15 [at] gmail [dot] com

As I was researching what to put on this page, and what to tell you, our readers, about this group, I learned some fascinating things. Did you know that only 5% of cocoa flowers will produce fruit? We chose this name, “CocoaMamas,” perhaps quite obviously because it represents the beautiful colors of our various skins. Unlike most in the mainstream mommy blogosphere, we are black and brown mothers. And we’re proud of it. But just like the small numbers of cocoa flowers that will eventually produce fruit, we know that the world doesn’t always see the beauty in our color, or that of our children. In a country where little black boys are more likely to end up in prison than in college, or where missing brown children are largely ignored by the mainstream press while blond ones get  round the clock coverage, our jobs to produce fruit are even more crucial. This blog recognizes these inequities; something the rest of the mommy blogs are privileged to be able to ignore.

Interesting fact #2: did you know that unlike most trees in the northern hemisphere, cocoa fruit can ripen at different times each year? This blog is for us, as mommies and women too, to rely our challenges, our fears, our heartbreaks and our victories.   The women writing this blog are just like the cocoa fruit – we are all growing and ripening at different stages, yet all of us, have not only born the fruit of beautiful children but have also had successes in our careers. This blog is our stories of how we are attempting to both ripen them and ourselves.

One last thing that I didn’t know about cocoa beans – during fermentation, an essential part of the process to change the beans from raw beans into the chocolate we all know and love, the beans develop their flavor, bitterness subsides, and it is then that the beans turn into a deep rich shade of brown. This blog is written by a group of women that I know, from knowing them all, that are going through their own fermentation process. We are developing our flavor as mothers, partners, co-parents, as career women, writers, academics, and as spiritual beings. Raw bitterness is falling away and being replaced by deep roasted chocolatey hmm-hmmm goodness.

So, dear readers, I hope you’ll join us as we embark on this new venture. We’ll vent, we’ll debate, we empathize, we’ll give advice. Visit often and comments are always welcome!

Peace,

LaToya

P.S. Upper Left Coffee Cup courtesy of Leilani Elderts via Flickr

18 thoughts on “About Cocoa Mamas”

  3. What a wonderful venture you ladies have embraced! I look forward to reading your entries as you travel through “fermentation.”

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  4. I was referred to your blog by my friend Toi. As a Pakistani-American, I’m a cocoa mama to be too I guess 🙂 I also had to deal with issues of being darker than my peers all my life and so its awesome you have a blog to encourage mothers to be more introspective about issues people of color often have to face as they raise their children against societies ideals. Kudos to you! I’ll be adding this to my google reader 🙂

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    1. Welcome Aisha! I was born in Iran and am very sensitive to the huge amount of complexity that comes with our diversity in color and heritage. I look forward to hearing from you on the various topics discussed here.

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  5. Yea to Aisha! Glad you enjoy their contributions. (I’m not a mom, but I share the blog with all of my friends.) You all provide such a wonderful outlet for women of color and ALL women. Kudos! (Nazie, you know I am especially proud of you:-) Best wishes to you all.

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  6. I’m glad to have found your blog. I’m a mom and teacher and relate well with your experiences. I also have a blog of my own and hope we can share notes. I’ve also taught law at the University for several years before deciding to teach elementary school. I look forward to the exchange of ideas. Thanks. Nicoline.

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  7. While I stumbled on to this site in search of something else, I have been looking for this very type of blog to read since I became a mommy 8 months ago! I love every piece I’ve read thus far……..thank you!

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  8. Hi there!

    I came across your blog after googling the name Cocoa Mamas. I love the name and here’s why: in October 2009, I created a mommy and me group called Cocoa Mama, Cocoa Baby. I call all the ladies in the group “Cocoa Mamas”. Recently, I began a blog for our group, cocoa mamas.tumblr.com. Hopefully you won’t mind sharing this name with me. CMCB, is a group of African-American women who come together monthly for a big playdate while the moms talk and share experiences. I look forward to keeping up with your blog and if you can, check us out too. We also have a Facebook page.

    Be blessed 🙂

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  10. I am so excited I stumbled upon this blog! I am not a mother yet but whole heartedly believe in gaining as much knowledge as I can now in preparation for when the Lord blesses me and my husband with a quiver full of children. Thank you for writing this blog I cannot wait to see all that comes forth!

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  11. You are awesome! My heart warms and my soul is lifted knowing there is someone like you out there in the world! Keep Up the Great Work!

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  12. I know the comments are closed but I wanted to let you know I loved your post regarding Beyonce, her music, and her place as a role-model–I think too many women are scared to come out and say exactly what you’re thinking. Thanks for being brave enough to have a voice, even if it goes against the masses. I for one agree with you and think a whole generation of little girls are riding on people like you!

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