DePaul University Via Sapientiae College of Education Theses and Dissertations College of Education Spring 6-2020 Raising Him: Testaments of Five Black Single Mothers and How They Perceive Their Experiences of Raising Theirs Son(s) in Contemporary Urban America Collage C. Warner DePaul University Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/soe_etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons Recommended Citation Warner, Collage C., "Raising Him: Testaments of Five Black Single Mothers and How They Perceive Their Experiences of Raising Theirs Son(s) in Contemporary Urban America" (2020). College of Education Theses and Dissertations. 186. https://via.library.depaul.edu/soe_etd/186 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Education at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in College of Education Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DePaul University College of Education RAISING HIM: TESTAMENTS OF FIVE BLACK SINGLE MOTHERS AND HOW THEY PERCEIVE THEIR EXPERIENCES OF RAISING THEIR SON(S) IN CONTEMPORARY URBAN AMERICA A Dissertation in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership by Collage C. Warner ©2020 Collage C. Warner Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education June 2020 We approve the dissertation of Collage C. Warner. 4/25/2020 Horace Hall, PhD Date DePaul University Associate Professor Chair of Dissertation Committee 04/30/2020 Crystal Laura, PhD Date Chicago State University Associate Professor Dissertation Committee Member 4-25-2020 William Ayers, Ed.D Date DePaul University Distinguished Professor Dissertation Committee Member Certification of Authorship I certify that I am the sole author of this dissertation. Any assistance received in the preparation of this dissertation has been acknowledged and disclosed within it. Any sources utilized, including the use of data, ideas and words, those quoted directly or paraphrased, have been cited. I certify that I have prepared this dissertation according program guidelines as directed. Author Signature Date 4/24/20 iv ABSTRACT This research explores the life experiences of working class, Black single mothers who are raising their son(s) in contemporary urban America, a space that can present challenges for the Black male child such as; poverty, poor educational systems, lack of jobs, homicide, crime, gang activity, addiction, and just about every source imaginable that can lead to socio-economic insufficiency. The study will focus on five Black single mothers between the ages of 35-45 years of age who are raising son(s) between the ages of 10-18 years of age. The purpose of the study is to explore the meaning of single motherhood by the women themselves and how they navigate and negotiate everyday life while raising their sons. Motherwork was used as the methodology for this research. Motherwork provides the framework of understanding the phenomena and oppressive factors related to Black single mothers, in particular those who are rearing son(s). This study pays particular attention to (a) the meaning of motherhood, (b) the impact that being a single Black mother has taken on their lives, (c) the challenge of raising a Black male child in contemporary urban America and, (d) how these mothers respond to the challenges of rearing their sons on their own. The research was designed to give single Black mothers who are raising male children a platform to share their stories, which may otherwise go untold. In order to gain a deeper understanding of how Black moms navigate and negotiate everyday life with their sons, I believe it is imperative to gain personal accounts of their lived experiences and also understand the barriers, challenges, and cultural as well as societal factors that impact them on a daily basis. Through their v personal stories, we can gain a holistic perspective on a Black family structure that is unique; yet often devalued, misunderstood, and often times negatively portrayed. TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication: .............................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgement ................................................................................................................. vi Chapter 1 ................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 Black Motherhood .................................................................................................................. 2 Purpose and Significance of Study ......................................................................................... 6 Guiding Questions .................................................................................................................. 7 Definition of Terms................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter II .............................................................................................................................. 10 Review of the Literature ....................................................................................................... 10 Historical Attack on the Black Mother ..................................................................... 10 Political Attack on the Black Mother ........................................................................ 15 Absent Fathers ...................................................................................................................... 18 Black Mothers and Their Sons .............................................................................................. 19 Emotional Challenges of Black Single Mothers ................................................................... 20 Higher Education and Black single mothers ........................................................................ 22 The Role of Spirituality/ Religion in the Lives of a Number of Black Single Mothers ......... 24 The Role of Extended Family ................................................................................................ 24 Chapter III ............................................................................................................................. 26 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................... 26 Introduction and Purpose ...................................................................................................... 26 Guiding Questions ................................................................................................................ 28 Purposeful Sample ................................................................................................................ 28 Instrumentation and Data Analysis ....................................................................................... 30 Research Setting.................................................................................................................... 30 Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 31 Limitations of the Study........................................................................................................ 32 Chapter IV ............................................................................................................................. 33 Findings................................................................................................................................. 33 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 33 London's Story (Lance & Noah) ........................................................................................... 34 Being in America: London's Experience .............................................................................. 35 London’s Challenge .............................................................................................................. 40 London’s Joy: The Blessings of Boys .................................................................................. 42 London’s Support System ..................................................................................................... 43 London’s Faith: Prayer + Meditation=Strength .................................................................... 44 Nia’s Story (Nicholas) .......................................................................................................... 45 Nia’s Black Woman Experience ........................................................................................... 46 Keeping Nicholas Safe: Nia’s Challenge .............................................................................. 52 Daily Prayer: Nia’s Spirituality ............................................................................................ 55 Nia’s Support System ........................................................................................................... 56 Jamie’s story (Jordan) ..........................................................................................................