By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer,
Report for America Corps Member
msayles@afro.com
Washington, D.C. nonprofit District Motherhued’s premier event celebrating Black mothers across the country, The Momference, will make a complete return to an in-person gathering this spring.
Unlike prior years, The 2022 Momference will take place over three days starting May 20, and this year’s theme is “legacy,” encouraging Black mothers to solidify their pasts and secure their futures.
Singer and actress Kelly Rowland will serve as the keynote speaker for The Momference 2022, and the event’s sponsors include Amazon Web Services, Wakati Hair, Hallmark Mahogany, Grantmakers for Girls, Carol’s Daughter, Values Partnerships and Sephora.
“The Momference is the nation’s first and largest celebration of Black motherhood,” said Nikki Osei-Barrett, co-founder of District Motherhued. “It is the first full-scale conference celebrating all things that relate to Black moms.”
District Motherhued was established by Osei-Barrett and Simona Noce Wright in 2016. The pair met through social media on Instagram and wanted to create an ecosystem of support and host events for Black mothers in the Washington Metropolitan Area (DMV).
The organization started with just 50 mothers, and today, it serves over 22,000 Black mothers nationwide.
The Momference originated in 2018 after mothers outside of the DMV reached out to District Motherhued asking to be a part of its events. Wright and Osei Barrett turned to social media to recruit a 25-member “mom squad” that could help them put on the event, which is celebrating its fifth year in 2022.
The conference, which takes place on May 21, features main stage conversations and workshops covering topics such as breaking generational curses, financial literacy, parenting styles, estate building, entrepreneurship and maternal health.
It will also offer a “Mommy Market,” in which attendees have the chance to shop from and support Black mompreneurs, as well as a pamper suite where mothers can receive complimentary micro treatments, like massages, nail care and eyelash treatments.
After the conference, ticket holders are encouraged to attend a formal evening soiree at the Planet World Museum, located at the historic Franklin School in D.C.
Depending on where they reside, Black mothers may struggle to find other Black mothers to connect with. The Momference alleviates this problem, and the friendships and business relationships that are fostered endure long after the weekend event, according to Noce Wright and Osei-Barrett.
“If you don’t get to connect with people who look like you, rather than complaining about it, the Momference decided to be there in support of you,” said Noce Wright.
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