Charlotte Mental Health Specialists Launch Mother’s Day Program for Black Maternal Wellness

In Lower South End and Uptown Charlotte, a new maternal wellness program kicks off this Mother's Day weekend, May 9-10. The initiative aims to support Black mothers' mental well-being.

Mental health experts Tiffany Bishop and Whitney Coble started Raising Resilience after seeing how moms of color struggled to find care. "Those challenges and difficulties were correlated to their challenges and difficulties in parenting, which then, of course, showed up in their child's behavior," said Bishop to WCNC.

Their work with children showed clear signs: Moms needed support first. Studies point to higher rates of stress and mood issues among Black women during pregnancy and early motherhood. Yet many face barriers when seeking help.

"Nurture and Bloom: A Maternal Wellness Experience" gives moms space for self-care. Coble draws a simple comparison: "We think about parenthood and motherhood as a flower. Because it takes your input to watch it grow, but also when we neglect ourselves and don't show up for ourselves, that plant reflects that."

New mom Jahmara Marchman found her way through early parenting with their support. "I had to really step back and realize how can I continue to pour into myself so I can be the best mom that I can be," she shared.

The timing matches Mental Health Awareness Month and Mother's Day perfectly. These experts want to move past typical gifts toward real emotional support. Bishop points out: "The cards, the flowers, those things are nice, but it's not really a time to self-reflect around who I am as a mother. What are the things I've given myself grace and patience for?"

For Marchman, the value lies in connection: "It's beautiful, it's fulfilling, but also it's hard work. Just to be in a safe place to really just let out, vent."