I’m so excited for y’all to meet Danielle Slaughter! Since I started A Striving Parent, I have been fortunate enough to connect with parents all over the country who are passionate about racial and social justice advocacy and the intersection with parenting. Danielle is the first mother I’ve met, however, that is doing this work here in Atlanta.

We appropriately met at a Revolutionary Mothering: Love On The Front Lines book reading at my favorite local book store Charis Books & More. Danielle shared she was starting a project called “Raising an Advocate”, a resource for parents who want to encourage their children to become social justice advocates, which got me so excited I ran over and introduced myself.

I now follow Danielle on social media and she is seriously inspiring. She is a doctoral candidate, teacher, writer, crafter and of course, mother. Danielle blogs at Mamademics, where her post “Why White Moms Need To Care About Murdered Black Children” went viral. It’s a must read. “Raising an Advocate” will be an offshoot of Mamademics and is set to launch this summer.

Without further ado, let’s hear from Danielle.

Tell us a little about yourself: 

I’m a doctoral student studying Rhetoric and Composition with a focus on Black feminist pedagogy and composition. I’m a teacher, writer, and crafter. I live in the Atlanta-area with my husband, 4-year old son, and a turtle they convinced me we needed.

As a parent, what’s your favorite part about living in your city?

I think most people would say the diversity of the city is awesome, but I really enjoy the fact that we live in a city with a rich background for Black history. My son is finally old enough for us to start taking him to museums and other places where he can learn about his history, and we won’t have to drive hours to show it to him.

What are your passion projects or in what ways do you engage with your local or national community?

At the moment, my passion project is Raising an Advocate, a parenting resource site that focuses on the roles that parents can play in encouraging social justice advocacy. It’s a spin-off from my blog, Mamademics, and will launch in early June. I’m working hard to develop courses and seminars that are engaging and will really bring about change in the world.

I also really enjoy building personal relationships with other moms via social media. I know that some people don’t believe in social media as activism, but as an introvert it’s really helped me to do the work I want without allowing my anxiety to get in the way.

What do you enjoy most about your civic engagement activities?

I really enjoy the conversations that happen on my Facebook page. It feels good to be able to facilitate dialogue that is oftentimes hard to have, but that still allows us to all learn from one another. I hope that Raising an Advocate becomes a platform for this type of dialogue on a larger scale.

What inspires you to engage in these activities?

My son and his cousins are definitely my inspiration for Raising an Advocate. I want them to live in a world where they are not constantly stereotyped or ignored. I’m also really inspired by the students I teach. They provide me with the hope that things can be different and people are willing to change.

 

Any words of wisdom for parents wanting to create space for civic engagement in their own busy lives?

Have the hard, uncomfortable conversations. And I don’t mean just with your children, but have these conversations with your family and close friends as well. Don’t sit silently when someone makes a racist, sexist, or homophobic remark. Your silence is seen as acceptance.

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How impressive is Danielle?? Her passion shines through her writing, both formal and informal. I definitely suggest you follow her on Facebook, as she offers pointed and thoughtful commentary on everything from motherhood to breaking news.

And definitely “like” Raising an Advocate on Facebook so you can stay informed on when the project is officially launched. I know I, for one, am very excited to dive into curriculum that will help me to promote social justice advocacy with my children.

Stay inspired, Striving Parents!