Fierce Mothers: The Cords that Bind Us

Abstract:Scholarship concerning mothers in higher education reveals that women who had children during doctoral studies are discriminated against at a much higher rate than men. Beyond PhD attainment, Women of Color continue to face institutional inequity—women who have children within five years of receiving their doctoral degree are 20–25% less likely to receive tenure—thus emerging scholarship on the experiences and activism of mothers in higher education is a necessary counternarrative and catalyst for change. Mothers of Color in Academia (MOCA) began as a student collective aiming to build systemic policies that address the unique needs of Mothers of Color and allies at a university. Our existential refusal to remain unseen informs our on-campus movement to demand and reclaim space as maternal activists. Toward that end, this manuscript delineates our genesis as MOCA and the kinship bonds that grew out of our activism. Finally, we offer reflections on our maternal activism and the tangible successes brought about within the corporate university climate.