Legacy Story: African American Moms: Community Must Invest in Youth (1998)

Lurline Baker-Kent, left, and Katie McWatt are two of more than 20 members of the newly organized local group Black Mothers United for Youth. “The total commitment and the total passion of women coming together for a common goal has created a strong bond among us,” Baker-Kent says. “We know what we have to do and we’re in it for the long haul.” Photo Terry Faust (1998) The following story appeared in the May 27–June 9, 1998 issue of Minnesota Women’s Press. Twice per month in 2024, MWP is uplifting select pieces from our 39-year archive with a focus on longstanding issues. In tandem with our “Mental Health” print issue, our May focus is on mental well-being. By now it is a commonplace saying: “It takes a village to raise a child.” Some repeat it, others even believe it. But one group of African American women actually live it. Black Mothers United for Youth, founded three months ago by St. Paul community activist Victoria Davis, is a village committed to raising its children. Davis said there was no single incident that prompted her to start the organization. Rather, her decision to act came out of a number of concerns that...