Nearly 9,000 Register for Moms First’s “Motherhood Live,” a Night of Culture, Community, and Change
Featuring Gloria Steinem, Ilana Glazer, Emily Oster, Reshma Saujani, and national leaders organizing moms across the country
NEW YORK — On January 26, Moms First hosted Motherhood Live, a virtual gathering that brought together thousands moms and allies from across the country for an urgent conversation about what it means to be a mother in America today, and how collective action can change what comes next.
The event featured an extraordinary lineup including Gloria Steinem, Ilana Glazer, Emily Oster, Anna Malaika Tubbs, Shannon Watts, Katie Bethell, Isabel González Whitaker, Rev. Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko, Minister JaNaé Bates Imari, Jackie Payne, Senator Erin Maye Quade, and Moms First Founder and CEO Reshma Saujani, alongside organizers and mothers on the frontlines of their communities.
“We are living in very dangerous and exhausting times,” said Reshma Saujani, opening the event. “But tonight is about understanding what’s happening, naming it, and remembering what’s possible when mothers refuse to disappear.”
The conversation featured Minnesota organizers and clergy, including State Senator Erin Maye Quade, Rev. Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko, and Minister JaNaé Bates Imari, describing the daily threats in their community. Reverend Jennifer, a Minnesota pastor, shared how moms are stepping up in extraordinary ways—organizing mutual aid, standing watch at bus stops, and leading prayer and protest—despite the ever-present risk of violence. The speakers underscored the resilience and collective action of Minnesota families, showing how ordinary parents are responding with courage and care to a crisis that reverberates far beyond their state.
Throughout the night, the conversation returned again and again to a shared theme: motherhood has always been political, and mothers have always been powerful.
Speakers shared personal stories and practical strategies, covering caregiving, work, public policy, organizing, and the challenges families face today, showing how mothers are already shaping the future, not waiting for it.
The event concluded with Saujani’s closing remarks: “No one is coming to save moms. But moms can save the nation.”
About Moms First
Moms First is fighting for America’s moms. Our mission is to win paid leave and child care as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Our vision is a country that values motherhood and supports moms and families. Learn more at momsfirst.us.