In Close Quarters, a Mother of 6 Battles Coronavirus

"This is Mama Tanya’s world where she is raising her family as a single mother. Despite the built-in hardships, she is a dynamic leader — an urban farmer who manages a nearby city-owned plot of land where she grows fruits and vegetables for the community; an outspoken crusader for women whose organization, the Black Feminist Project, works for food justice and reproductive rights; and a gifted public speaker and organizer whose brutally naked musings on social media bring to mind the bottomless courage of Fannie Lou Hamer, the storytelling genius of Toni Morrison and the self-empowerment ethos of Cardi B.

But, most importantly, Mama Tanya is a parent who was terrified when she realized in mid-March that she may have contracted the coronavirus during a recent trip to New Orleans for a conference. Knowing that she could also spread it to her children and her partner was even more frightening.”

Written by: Kevin Powell

Read the full story in the NY Times here: https://nyti.ms/3ajQ0cY

Story also published in Ms. Magazine in Q&A format: https://msmagazine.com

(Photos by Kay Hickman 2020-04-09)