Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers out there. And thank you all for submitting your photos and motherly sayings for my story on Black Mother Lexicon and celebrating the language of love. The link to the story is attached. Happy Mother’s Day. @ajcnews@itsuatl /news/2026/05/on-mothers-day-we-celebrate-the-language-of-love-and-discipline/
“We had full conversations without saying a word.”
That’s how Tiffany Cross describes the morning after the 2024 election — Black women passing each other with knowing looks, carrying a shared heartbreak few people were naming out loud.
Cross was carrying her own.
She’d lost her MSNBC show. A relationship was ending. The country, she felt, had grown openly hostile toward Black women. “Love, Me: A Letter to Black Women in a Toxic Country, Career, & Relationship” is what came out of all of it.
Cross writes about the Tucker Carlson criticism that preceded her show’s cancellation, the Clark Atlanta years she couldn’t afford to finish and why she still believes Black women want, more than anything, to pour love into a country that rarely loves them back.
At the link in bio, read how Cross’ personal losses shaped a wider examination of Black women’s lives in America.
🖋️: Ernie Suggs / AJC
📸: Karl Ferguson Jr. | Courtesy of Tiffany Cross
#blackauthors #blackwomen #loveme #tiffanycross #uatl
What a Busy Mother’s Day Weekend:
9 a.m. Norfolk State University Commencement with @itswendysuggs & Cameron.
Noon: AABJ meeting to get ready for @nabj
2 p.m.: @adama_atl Museum for the closing of the AJC’s “W. E. B. Du
Bois Revisited: Re-Imagining Du Bois’ Work From ‘The Exhibit of American
Negroes.’” Shout out to @natrice.miller and @mirthawrites Donastorg for producing an amazing piece of journalism and art and to the great artist @fahamupecou for displaying it as an art exhibit
4 p.m.: @aarl_atl Auburn Avenue Research Library with some of my journalism and Hollywood friends to listen to my friend @tiffanydcross Tiffany Cross in conversation with @michaelharriot Harriot about her amazing new book “Love, Me: A Letter to Black Women in a Toxic Country, Career, & Relationship.” The book is amazing!! With @charlesmblow & @yvettenicolebrown & @jueldlane & @chasinggarza . And a side note to complete a circle: Michael’s second book, following the stunning “Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America,” is dropping soon. The cover art of the new book was done by his childhood neighbor and life long friend - the aforementioned Mr. Pecou.
7 pm. Dinner with @delanorm & NABJ President Errin Haines @emarvelous
Whew.
And there is more to come on this Mother’s Day!!!!
Stay tuned
Every mother has her phrases.
The warnings. The one-liners. The short, sharp sayings repeated in kitchens, from car seats, across store aisles and on front porches. They carried humor, discipline, faith and a whole lot of love, sometimes all at once.
For Mother’s Day, UATL staff curated a glossary from hundreds of reader submissions about the sayings Black mothers used to raise us. Read the full glossary at the link in bio.
🖋️: Ernie Suggs / AJC
🎨: Ronald Williams / AJC
#happymothersday #mothersday #uatl
Four mothers. Four books that explore Black motherhood in all its forms.
Toni Morrison.
Michelle Obama.
Jacqueline Woodson.
Jamilah Lemieux.
As we approach Mother’s Day, it’s a good time to consider the stories that shape how we understand motherhood.
@erniesuggs breaks down each pick at the link in our bio.
📸 : AP | Aria Askari | Penguin Random House | Jamilah Lemieux
#mothersday #uatl
What is your favorite Mahalia Jackson song?
I am going with “He Calmed the Ocean.”
I was actually introduced to the music of Mahalia Jackson in 1991 through the movie, “Jungle Fever.” If you remember the movie told three stories:
The elicit Jungle FeverThe courtship of Orin Goode by PaulieAnd the family interactions of the Purifys, led by The Good Reverend Doctor and his loving wife, Lucinda, who had to deal with Flipper and Gator.
Whenever we were in the Purify home, Mahalia was the soundtrack – often to calm the Good Reverend Doctor. The most powerful scene in the movie is when The Good Reverend Doctor shoots Gator. Throughout the whole scene, “He Calmed the Ocean,” is playing. It is a perfect fit to what is going on, with the high and erratic Gator serving as the rough “ocean,” needing to be calmed. The Good Reverend Doctor and his gun, are the “He.”
As Lucinda cries and prays over the body of her troubled son, whom she still loves, she gives one last horrible wail, which perfectly coincides with Mahalia coda.
Yeah... He calmed the ocean,
My lord Oh, Said He would,
Said He would calm the raging sea,
said He would, said He would. @msmahaliajackson@mahaliajacksonfans@officialspikelee /playlist/4dk7hYTvjq1oqftcBGQwYC?si=IVj_q002RuSy9ar1Ndnlag&pi=mhVta63ORV-vC
What is your favorite Parliament-Funkadelic song?
I am going to go the classic “Mothership Connection (Starchild)”
This is pure P-Funk 101 with all of the elements of what makes them an amazing band. Bonus points on the live version of this that segues into “Swing Low/Sweet Chariot,” featuring Glenn Goins. Good lord. On days that I miss church. I listen to this.
Quick story: A few years ago, I profiled Jermaine Dupri. I mentioned that as a child, he went to a P-Funk concert and saw the “Mothership land.” I had that simple fact in the story and editing and copy editing kept pushing back, insisting that I had to fully explain what the “Mothership,” was, that it was part of a song and part of an album, whose full name was “Mothership Connection.” I said lets go for a walk and ask every Black person we know if they have ever seen “The Mothership.” To a person, when we asked the question, they knew exactly what we were talking about and then went on to say when they saw it or how they regret not seeing it. (Some, oddly couldn’t remember). Needless to say, “Mothership land,” made it into the story. @werpfunk@yolikegeorge
In case you missed your morning dose of CNN this Weekend with Victor Blackwell, take a few moments and check it out. I make a panel appearance to talk about the Voting Rights Act, Spirit Airlines, Dating on a Budget, chocolate Ice Cream and more. Here Is PART TWO: @mayatprabhu@victorblackwell@cnn@ashleywillcott
In case you missed your morning dose of CNN this Weekend with Victor Blackwell, take a few moments and check it out. I make a panel appearance to talk about the Voting Rights Act, Spirit Airlines, Dating on a Budget, chocolate Ice Cream and more. Here Is PART ONE: @mayatprabhu@victorblackwell@cnn@ashleywillcott
What is your favorite song by The Time?
I am going with the underrated, “The Stick,” the closing song from their 1981 debut album. Classic funk and Minneapolis swag. What is your favorite song @themorrisday ?@iamjeromebenton ?
“Girl, my car’s so bad, it runs on H2O/
Now you can’t compete, it’s got the cruise control.”
Follow me on IG @erniesuggs for more content
