Rooted in Resilience: Uplifting Black Mothers through Community & Care

In this heartfelt episode of the Palante Nonprofits Podcast, Dr. Andrea Ortega sits down with Mama Yata, founder of Melanin Mothers Meet (M3), a grassroots nonprofit rooted in Tallahassee, Florida that provides postpartum empowerment, wellness support, and a culturally grounded community for Black mothers. Mama Yada shares how her own joyful but rare postpartum experience inspired her to create a space where rest, care, and sisterhood could become the norm—not the exception. What began as intimate healing circles in a bookstore evolved into a robust organization offering virtual sessions, empowerment strategy coaching, and community-centered events.

The conversation dives into the realities of building a nonprofit as a one-woman show, the learning curve of navigating funding, and the challenges of integrating data and evaluation in a space built on trust and lived experience. Mama Yada opens up about the emotional labor of the work, the importance of meeting mothers where they are (literally, at parks or homes), and the deep personal rewards—like a mom telling her, "Because of you, I didn’t feel invisible." This episode is a celebration of grassroots leadership, healing justice, and the power of showing up, even without perfect resources or roadmaps.