What if humans could evolve into our most nurturing and creative selves? What if society were organized around care instead of extraction and destruction? What if we followed the leadership of those who mother? Well, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, self-proclaimed Black Feminist Love Evangelist, thinks we have to. It's urgent. And she calls this possibility Motherful.

This episode, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, a poet and one of Julia's philosopher heroes, will be our guide to A Motherful World.

She is a big inspiration for Julia. Check out Alexis' beautiful work here:

Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines Alexis Pauline Gumbs (Editor), China Martens (Editor), Mai’a Williams (Editor), Loretta J. Ross (Preface)

Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs

Spill: Scenes of Black Feminist Fugitivity by Alexis Pauline Gumbs

M Archive: After the End of the World by Alexis Pauline Gumbs

Dub: Finding Ceremony by Alexis Pauline Gumbs

And pre-order her forthcoming book:

Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde (out August 20!)

And more great poems, videos and workshops on her instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexispauline/

Mother is a Question is created by Julia Metzger-Traber and Natasha Haverty. Our editor is Rob Rosenthal.

Original Music by Raky Sastri and Julia Read

Executive Producer: Genevieve Sponsler

Manager of The Big Questions Project: Courtney Fleurantin

Coordinating Producer: Emmanuel Desarme

Post-Production: Sandra Lopez-Monsalve

Art by Richard Gray