The 11th Annual Pre-Mother’s Day Brunch, which will once again be presented by Sistah 2 Sistah, will take place Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Fountain of Life Church on Madison’s south side. This year’s theme is “Fierce Love: It’s a Mama Bear Thing.”
“The conversations that take place at this event are genuine and authentic. The wisdom being passed down from mothers through generations is amazing. This is a fun and important event,” Jackie Hunt, founder of the Pre-Mother’s Day Brunch, tells Madison365.
Attendees will be dressed in their best spring fashion and will be ushered and escorted around by men from the community dressed in suits at this annual event that is free for mothers of all ages. There will be singing, dancing, networking, raffle prizes and more. One hundred women have signed up for this event, Hunt says.
The Pre-Mother’s Day Brunch was created to give moms a space to be able to come enjoy brunch and a program created in celebration of mothers from “Generation to Generation.” This is a multigenerational celebration in honor that Hunt says is dedicated to her heavenly mother – Mary Louise Hunt – and earthly mother – Milele Chikasa Anana.
“When I first started this, I never thought it would get this big. I was in my little corner of the world just trying to create something out of my own need,” Hunt remembers. “ I was a single mom, too, and my babies didn’t have any money to take me out. But Ms. Milele took me out every Sunday, every Mother’s Day after church, she would take me and my kids out for dinner along with some other single moms.”
“When Ms. Milele got sick with cancer and couldn’t do that for me any more, I was in a position where I was able to create this event for other single moms like me,” she adds. “She was there for me; so I wanted to be there for other single moms. That’s when I created the event.”
Eleven years later, the annual Pre-Mother’s Day Brunch brings together mothers of all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds together to celebrate all mothers. This event will have powerful guest speakers, performance in dance, spoken word and music to minister to your spirit.
“We will have speakers across the generations including Ms. Charlie Daniel, Julia Saffold, Atonye Marsh and Cynthia Walker-Stephens. These moms will be talking about what is to have this type of ‘tough love’ as a mother,” Hunt says. “Especially in these times when so much is happening with black children and households. We’ll have a grandmother’s perspective, a mother’s perspective who has lost a child, a mother’s perspective who has lost a mom, and a mom that is still raising kids now, and a mom who has never birthed her own children, but has been like a mom to others.
“It will be like a little fireside chat,” she adds. “There will be wisdom passed down and experiences being shared and hope for our future.”
Hunt had hip replacement surgery since February and has been out of work since then.
“But I didn’t want to not have something for this Mother’s Day, so I have some mentors Tara Wilhelmi, Davita Walker, Jule Adams who have been working with me to create the event and who have been doing a lot of the legwork behind the scenes to get things done,” Hunt says.
“It’s going to be fun. We’ll have the Mt. Zion Liturgical Dance Ministry performing, music, a violin performance, [R&B band] Trilogy will come back together to perform. We’re going to create canvases,” she continues. “All of the women who participate will receive a corsage – white if their moms are heavenly; red if their moms are earthly. I will have a number of male volunteers – my sons included – who will be serving the moms. Every woman will receive a gift bag. We’ve had some items donated so we’ll have a raffle, as well.”
Eleven years in, Hunt says this annual event never fails to inspire her.
“I really love to watch the genuine conversations that happen at this event,” Hunt says. “One of the things that we strategically try to do is to place elders at each table so that we’ll have a mixture of older moms and younger moms. I love the sharing of wisdom is what’s so beautiful to me. And in this space, for whatever reason, they are willing to listen.”
Sistah 2 Sistah will present their 11th Annual Pre-Mother’s Day Brunch “From Generation to Generation – The Power of A Mother’s Love” will take place Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at Fountain of Life Covenant Church, 633 West Badger Road.
