Essex County Mocha Moms at our 2024 Mothers Day Event
Essex County
WHO ARE MOCHA MOMS
Mocha Moms, Inc. serves as the premier organization for sisterhood, support and service for mothers of color. Through chapters and online, Mocha Moms, Inc. provides support for women of color as they journey through all phases of motherhood while advocating for them nationally.
Mocha Moms, Inc. also encourages the spirit of community activism and service among its supporters. With over 100 chapters, we connect mothers of color across the country. Our group supports working and stay-at-home moms to navigate a healthy work-life balance. Anyone who supports the mission and purpose of Mocha Moms, Inc. is welcome to join
In 1997, friends Jolene Ivey and Karla Chustz began publishing a newsletter called “Mocha Moms” in the hopes of connecting with other African-American mothers across the country who were taking time off from their careers to raise their children. The newsletter was intended to encourage these mothers to feel good about their choice and to provide information to enrich their parenting experience. The first Mocha Moms newsletter was published in the spring of 1997 and was distributed to many mothers nationwide.
In May of 1997, Cheli English-Figaro learned about the newsletter and contacted Jolene immediately. After hours of conversation, the women decided that the Mocha Moms newsletter should become an actual organization and should begin by forming a chapter in Prince George’s County, Maryland so that African-American at-home mothers could meet and support each other. Cheli’s friend, Joby Dupree became the fourth founder in the fall of 1997 and the Prince George’s County, MD Chapter of Mocha Moms began operations in November 1997. The first Mocha Moms, Inc. playgroup (now called Mocha Sister Social) was held in January 1998 and the first Moms Only Potluck Supper (now called Moms’ Night Out) took place in February 1998.
Mocha Moms, Inc. began as a support group for mothers of color who had chosen to alter their career paths to devote more time to their families and communities. As such, the organization was essential because historically, mothers of color, particularly African-American mothers, have not had the opportunity to devote the majority of their time to caring for their own families. It all started with the publishing of a newsletter called Mocha Moms in the hopes of connecting at-home mothers of color with each other. The newsletter was intended to encourage these mothers to feel good about their choice as well as to provide information to help them be the best and most important influence in their children’s lives. It was distributed to over 100 moms across the country in the spring of 1997. That summer, four mothers of color in Prince George’s County, Maryland decided to form a national support group and they called it Mocha Moms, Inc. .
NATIONAL HISTORY
