Dancing Through the Pain: ‘A Mother’s Rite’ Moves Us Through a Parent’s Worst Nightmare

By Maiysha Kai via https://theglowup.theroot.com

When we think of ballet, we may think of tutus and pointe shoes, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake—and hopefully, of Misty Copeland and the other rare black ballerinas who have risen to prominence in the genre. But while we celebrate the accomplishment of seeing black and brown faces take center stage, rarely do we consider the details of the often arduous journey it takes to get there.

Similarly, when we consider the suffering of black mothers who have lost children to racially motivated crimes—especially those who have gained national visibility in the aftermath—we rarely consider the non-public moments of grief; the everyday acts that suddenly become acts of survival in the face of unfathomable loss.