The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation

New York Times BestsellerThis dynamic blend of biography and manifesto centers on Louise Little, Alberta King, and Berdis Baldwin . . . Tubbss book stands against the womens erasure, a monument to their historical importance.The New YorkerTubbs connection to these women is palpable on the page as both a mother and a scholar of the impact Black motherhood has had on America. Through Tubbs writing, Berdis, Alberta, and Louises stories sing. Theirs is a history forgotten that begs to be told, and Tubbs tells it brilliantly. Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and National Book Award winner Stamped from the BeginningMuch has been written about Berdis Baldwins son James, about Alberta Kings son Martin Luther, and Louise Littles son Malcolm. But virtually nothing has been said about the extraordinary women who raised them. In her groundbreaking and essential debut The Three Mothers, scholar Anna Malaika Tubbs celebrates Black motherhood by telling the story of the three women who raised and shaped some of Americas most pivotal heroes.A New York Times Bestsellers Editors ChoiceAn Amazon Editors Pick for FebruaryAmazons Best Biographies and Memoirs of 2021One of theSkimms 16 Essential Books to Read This Black History MonthOne of Fortune Magazines 21 Books to Look Forward to in 2021!One of Badass Womens Bookclub picks for Badass Books We Cant Wait to Read in 2021!One of Working Mother Magazines 21 Best Books of 2021 for Working MomsOne of Ms. Magazines Most Anticipated Reads for the Rest of Us 2021One of Bustles 11 Nonfiction Books To Read For Black History Month All Written By WomenOne of SheReads.coms Most anticipated nonfiction books of 2021Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little were all born at the beginning of the 20th century and forced to contend with the prejudices of Jim Crow as Black women. These three extraordinary women passed their knowledge to their children with the hope of helping them to survive in a society that would deny their humanity from the very beginningfrom Louise teaching her children about their activist roots, to Berdis encouraging James to express himself through writing, to Alberta basing all of her lessons in faith and social justice. These women used their strength and motherhood to push their children toward greatness, all with a conviction that every human being deserves dignity and respect despite the rampant discrimination they faced.These three mothers taught resistance and a fundamental belief in the worth of Black people to their sons, even when these beliefs flew in the face of Americas racist practices and led to ramifications for all three families safety. The fight for equal justice and dignity came above all else for the three mothers.These women, their similarities and differences, as individuals and as mothers, represent a piece of history left untold and a celebration of Black motherhood long overdue.