Drawing on extensive research and interviews with more than 70 Black grandmothers raising their grandchildren, Dr. Pittman’s book increases awareness and understanding of the myriad legal, economic, and relational intricacies Black grandmothers must grapple with when raising their grandchildren in the twenty-first century. By doing so, it challenges the limited belief among Black (and other) communities, policymakers, practitioners, and academia that contemporary grandparent caregiving is merely the continuation of a historic tradition in the Black community. During this talk, Dr. Pittman discusses how Black grandparents haven’t “always” experienced caregiving in its current iteration. 

“Black grandmothers are canaries in the coalmine, amplifying how centuries of perilous social injustice imperil how families form and function,” said Pittman. “They are an early warning sign to policymakers and grandparents from other racial and ethnic backgrounds of the dangers of raising a second and third generation without adequate support. They are an early warning sign of the dangers of navigating public policies that erect barriers to their ability to adequately care for their grandchildren, instead of creating pathways to facilitate their caregiving. The consequences of these dangers can be seen in their high poverty rates, mental and physical health disparities, and deferred dreams.”

“My aim in writing Grandmothering While Black is to shine a light on the realities of contemporary grandparent caregiving in the Black community,” said Pittman. “My hope is that, through increased awareness and understanding of the myriad legal, economic, and relational intricacies Black grandmothers must grapple with when raising their grandchildren in the twenty-first century, we can do more to help support these families.”