I know there’s never been a better time to be a Black mother, even though it doesn’t always feel like it. Partus sequitur ventrem explained why the Black mothering experience felt inseparable from narratives of hypervigilance and trauma. Partus sequitur ventrem revealed that my foremothers and I share the goal of raising free Black children despite contextual differences. Intensive mothering affirms motherhood, especially Black motherhood, as a site of suffering. Black motherhood is often seen as a site of crisis, leaving little room for freedom, authenticity, and joy.