laura gabrielle

Doesn’t matter where you’re from, social initiatives toward equality and justice continue. Black History Month has presented many opportunities for learning. Here at MoM, we’ve shared information from with our students, partnered to create events putting Black-owned businesses at the center, and continued with a commitment to share broadly and loudly a commitment to empower all humans equally from all walks of life. For example we have shared widely MoM’s proximity of The Woodson African American Museum in St. Pete to MoM and admiration for Carter G. Woodson and his journey. We take that journey to heart and invest similarly in women’s rise within Women’s History Month.

MoM affirms that one person’s security, safety, and serenity need never jeopardize another’s. There is room for everyone to seek harmony on this earth, but not when primitive thinking rules. Mother loves all her children, even if humans fall short of this golden rule all too often.

News of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) failing yet again in its ratification is heartbreaking. The twenty-eighth amendment which bans discrimination based on sex was first introduced in 1923 and was passed by Congress fifty years later, it has yet to be ratified. Subsequent pushes to see it through have failed. It is disappointing to bring this most recent development to your attention on the first day of Women’s History Month after a Federal Appeals Court rejected the case only days ago.

Welcome MoM Projects and Our New Intern: Yana

This spring we have multiple projects in the works. Some are spearheaded by interns from around the world. Dr. Hannah Brockbank (England) is leading a team that includes Laura Gabrielle (USA) and Yana S. (Russia; read more below) towards the first of several online classes, we are developing and hope to be offering at MoM later this year, while Victoria Wright continues research on a breastfeeding exhibit for her final Master’s project with MoM.

Locally, in St. Petersburg, the AEHK Studio Tour takes place on March 18 & 19 all day long. Intrepid visitors can wander Historic Kenwood and see the amazing art studios of its residents, including MoM’s own Martha Joy Rose’s works. Jenilee Dowling leading a Mothers’ Moon Circle on March 21st at 7 PM instead of our regular morning meetup onsite in the garden at 10 AM. All other meetings this month are at the usual time. Then, the weekend of March 24-26 is the Annual Academic & Arts MoM Conference. Presenters from around the world share their work on the changing world of reproductive landscapes. Contact us to fine out more. Stick with us. Lots to come!

Hi everyone! My name is Yana S. I’m a high school graduate who plans to major in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at college, and pursue a social impact career – hopefully in public interest law or public policy work – in the future. I’m confident that my time with the MoM would be a truly transformative experience, and I can’t wait to work in the areas about which I’m truly passionate.

We look forward to bringing you lots of stories about Women’s History (or HERstory) this month!! Stay tuned. Also, we hope to see some of our local friends on Friday, March 3 for YesChefVillage dinner 6-7:30 PM at 538 28th St. N. in St. Pete. The dinners are free. The community is awesome. Meet Chef Omaka and friends. RSVP 877-711-MOMS (6667) pls.

We 3/4s of the way towards purchasing the Mother Tree for our permanent collection! Only $8,000 left to go, with $17K already raised! Help us meet this goal. Join this legacy production today.

We APPRECIATE YOU! Every dollar helps us rise to the occasion of our own success as we prove ourselves as THE destination for the art, science, and history of women, mothers, and families. DONATE NOW!

Thanks to Cait McVey/Spectrum Bay News 9 for the recent news story, March 1, 2023: St. Pete museum celebrates the history of mom. Martha Joy Rose’s new venture for the City of St. Pete is the Mom Museum, carefully curated with all things mother. LINK

Hello World – How are things going for everyone? As we roll from October into November, signaling the beginning of another holiday season, we want to share our inspiration, hope, and love to each of our friends near and far.

Our November Newsletter went out last week. If you are not getting our monthly updates, please DO sign up for our newsletter using one of the links here on our website:

The Annual Academic MoM Conference will take place in person and online in 2023. Call for papers is posted. This annual event is a collaborative effort with artists and academics to create experiences that are both educational and artistic in nature, contributing to the body of work that comprises a vast field of mother studies. CFP due by November 30th! Link to CFP.

The 7th Issues of the Journal of Mother Studies is now live and available to read. This journal is a peer-reviewed, international, interdisciplinary open-access, digital humanities hybrid project focused on Mother Studies, a field of study devoted to the issues, experiences, topics, history, and culture of m/others, mothering, and motherhood. Special thanks to our editor Nicole Musselman! Read more.

You’re invited to join the St. Petersburg Mothers’ Club, where everyone is welcome. If you crave connection, heartfelt conversation, and an opportunity to explore the nuances of m/otherhood while navigating your individual well-being, this is the place for you! Read more.

We welcomed another intern this fall. Гердт Мария has been diligently combing through some of our more advanced texts to facilitate a new round of MoM classes in the new year. We hope to synthesize her research with existing coursework in order to launch an easily accessible class in mother studies for all to see. She has been diligently translating portions of the book the Women Founders by Patricia Madoo Lengermann, Gillian Niebrugge. Now more about Maria:

My name is Maria, I’m a second-year undergraduate student at Higher School of Economics in Moscow. I’m a sociology major and a pubic history minor. I’m passionate about women’s rights, female literature and art, especially representing relationships between mothers and daughters or sapphic relationships, but I generally find women’s studies and herstory an inspiring and fascinating academic field. I’ve written multiple student’s papers on the topic, published two articles, and always try to support feminist initiatives in my city and my country. I’m also curious about politics and political theory, love reading, watching movies, attending galleries. I’ve always found it frustrating how women’s voices get ignored or stolen and I’m grateful to MoM for an opportunity to discover and share the lives and ideas of great female sociologists.

Coming in January 2023…

MoM welcomes Laura Gabrielle from Portland, Oregon. Laura is a graduate student in museum studies. She enjoys attending music and art events, discovering new cafes, or spending time at home with books and films. She especially loves historical dramas with good costume design! Being in the Pacific Northwest, she appreciates living in close proximity to the coast, mountains, and rivers for outdoor activities. Her research project will be dedicated to the erased history of women’s input in sociology and social theory starting with 19th century. As a research assistant, Laura will help create content for a booklet that will be incorporated within a 4-week class at Museum of Motherhood.

That’s it for now. Have a busy and blessed November – We’ll see you soon!