'Dear Mama' Virtual Exhibit Hosted By HCLS Oct. 24

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A virtual group thematic exhibit depicting pregnancy and motherhood through the eyes of artists of color will be displayed virtually Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. The Howard County Library System will be hosting Dear Mama, which will be followed up with a day of dialogue among physicians, psychiatrists and other health care experts who will lead discussions about the physical and emotional health of Black mothers and mothers-to-be.

The exhibit aims to generate an emotional response as well as an understanding of the health disparities impacting women of color including, according to author and host Faye McCray. Melani Douglass, director of public programs at National Museum of Women in the Arts and founder of the Family Arts Museum, will deliver the keynote on motherhood and parenting as art. The three sessions will proceed as follows:

Session 1: 11:15 a.m. to noon - What to Know: Advocating for the Health of You and Your Baby

Participants will share stories about physical trauma and discuss how best to advocate for your health during pregnancy and postpartum.

• Faye McCray, author (host)
• Kamilah House-Lewis, artist (co-host)
• Briana Green, director of operations at Mamatoto Village
• Dr. Donna Marie Neale, M.D., medical director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Maternal and Fetal Medicine

Session 2: 12:30 p.m, to 1:15 p.m. - Let’s Talk About It: Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

Join the artists as they tell stories about the mental and emotional challenges that arise from pregnancy and childbirth. Learn to identify when you need help and how to find resources you need.

• Faye McCray, author (host)
• Kamilah House-Lewis, artist (co-host)
• Dr. Alexis Lighten Wesley, M.D., child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at Children’s National Hospital
• Biany Perez, Black Latinx mental health therapist

Session 3: 1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. - Healing through Connection: Black Motherhood in 2020

Join the artists for open dialogue about the unique challenges facing Black mothers and parenting children of color in today’s climate.

• Sherry Samuels (host), certified life coach, workshop facilitator and writer
• Faye McCray, Author (co-host)
• Kamilah House, Artist (co-host)
• Ana Rodney, MOMCares; executive director and founder
• Karen Pryor, founder and editor-in-chief of Queen Mother Magazine and the founder of KMP Fashion Consulting, LLC