April 14, 2025 • 21 mins
This episode of Good News with Twanda Black features Lisa Norwood. In 1999 Lisa Norwood, single mom of 3 sons, no family in GA searched for programs that provide educational support for mothers on rearing boys and mentoring sons. After much prayer, she stepped out on faith, resigned from her management position, and birthed Mothers Raising Sons (MRS). Ms. Norwood received the 2019 GA Women’s Legislative Caucus Servant Leadership Yellow Rose for MRS achievements. MRS Day @ GA Capitol 3/20/19 Resolutions #428. 2024 Received President Biden Lifetime Achievement Award and metal.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Thank you for joining me today on Good News with
Twanda Black. We're we are discovering some of the most
inspiring trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up
a friend and let them know it's time for some
good news.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Welcome to Good News with Twanda Black. I am your host,
and we talk with folks from all walks of life
about their good news because ultimately, if our brothers and
sisters are.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Doing well, we are doing well.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
We celebrate that. Right, yes, it back, Relax and enjoy.
This guest joining us today is Lisa Norwood. She is
founder and CEO of Missus Mother Raising Sons. How are
you doing, Lisa, Oh.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I'm happily alive and yourself happily alive.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Happily alive too.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
I love that well.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
First of all, tell us a little bit about your
background and how you started and why you started Mother's
Raising Sons.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Okay, in nineteen ninety nine, I was a single mother
of three wonderful sons. At the time, they were five, six,
and fifteen years old. I was searching for an organization
that would provide educational support for mothers rearing boys and
mentoring to the sons. I had no family in Georgia,
and my three sons desired and needed a positive male
(01:44):
role model in their life, and I needed to be
on point with their development also.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
So I was.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
At the time, I was employed a supervisor in juvenile court,
which is the second largest in Georgia, and after witnessing
an extensive volume of black males being raised by females
alone in the juvenile justice system, it became apparent to
me that there was a need for a support organization.
(02:12):
I was aware of the numerous programs for boys already
in the system, but nothing to prevent them from becoming
first time offenders. Extensive research was conducted throughout the Atlanta
metro area of the needed services, and the responses was
overwhelmingly in favor of starting the program.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
So after I.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Searched again for my boys, I prayed and fast for
God to send me an answer, and I thought I
heard start a program.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
I'm like, oh what? So I continued breagnant and waiting
for another answer.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Okay, to start a program again, And then one of
my employees came to me and said, somebody at the
front that needed to see me. I went to the
front that and she had a six year old little
boy say he need a probation officer because I don't
know what to.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Do with him. Woo.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
So I questioned them God, and he told me again,
you know, step out. But I'm like, I can't to
step out. I'm like, but what about this? What about that?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
He is to step out on faith?
Speaker 4 (03:20):
He would be with me always and put the right
people in my path, and he would be my rock.
So I shouted, oh Lord, I don't know how, and
he said he will move those mountains into hills in
hill and.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
You know you can't stand on them at hills too long,
especially to him. You know, I could move forward.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
And despite my family, friends and co workers disapproving of
me leaving my position as a supervisor with a guaranteed
income for an unknown income, I resigned from my management
position with benefits from juvenile court, and I stepped out
on faith and birth mothers Raising Sons nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
But you know, you saw a need, and it always
says when you see your need and it's a passion,
you gotta feel it. You've gotta feel it. Oh my goodness,
that's amazing, you know. I when my kids were younger,
there are a few things out there, but not many.
I tried to find role.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Models for I'm a mom of sons as well.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
And raising boys is a little different, you know, it's
just a little bit different than raising girls. I talk
to people all the time that have both girls and boys,
and they say, boys are so much easier.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
What do you think, Oh, most definitely boys are, Because
now I have a granddaughter and I see the difference.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Well, I had two of them.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
But you know, my belief is that a mother raises
her daughter and spoils her son, where father raises his
son is spoiled and true, so true, Yeah, it is
a it is a difference. And a lot of times
we're trying to raise a boy to be a man,
and how do we do that when we quite don't
understand all the what they need and you know, their
(05:04):
designs because we've never been a boy, So how do
we do that? So and education starts at home, you know,
So as a single mother, our responsibility for the moral, social,
ethnic values, finance education of her household. And how do
we do that with a boy if they don't have
a positive male role model in that life? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yeah, and that's needed.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Absolutely, absolutely, so talk about programming. What are some of
your programming.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Well, I want to go back to one thing because
I was in a workshop one time and I got up,
and you know there's sometimes they have you introduce yourself.
So I got up and said who I was, and
then I said, a mother cannot be a father nor
a positive male role model to her son, but she
tries to play the role.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Oh my goodness. I had so many women in there.
Speaker 6 (05:54):
They was like, I'm a good father to my son.
Speaker 7 (05:59):
The father is the word exactly. It was men in
the audience. I'm like, come on, guys, you know what
y'all got to say? And they didn't say anything.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I mean I was I felt like I was attacked.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
So there was one woman she was quiet, and then
even the host got involved, and I'm like, oh my god.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You know, you can't be a father to your son.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Even though nowadays they do have father's father Day cards
to the mother, you know, but still you cannot be
a father to your to your son.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
You know, you can try.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Them all you try, That's right, you can't and you
could do a good job in raising him, but you
cannot substitute.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
That dad, right, right, And so talk about the benefits
of having a father in the home. We're seeing some
of the ramifications right now, but talk about the benefits,
the pros and cons of having a father and not
having a father, and of course having a father that's
(06:58):
not engaged is just like not having a father sometimes,
but talk about the pros and cons of that.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Well, I'm not sure. Well, their father was in their life,
but I was a disciplinary one.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
He was the fun dad, you know, and then if
he said he was going to show up and he didn't,
and I felt guilty. So I had to do something,
you know, to lift his spirits up. And I think
that might be part of how we fail our sons,
you know, because we're trying to substitute in a way
of their emotions of what they're going through because they
(07:35):
don't have their father.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
And my grandson he got so emotional.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
He was like five years old, and he just got
emotional because his father, I mean his mother and his
father not I mean his.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Father and mother are not together.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
And he just he had me crying and tears because
he said he was speaking from the heart and he
said fathers are so necessary.
Speaker 6 (07:58):
I don't know why my mom, you know, as against
my dad. My dad loves me, and I know he does,
and I need my dad. I mean he was almost
in tears. And then my granddaughter and his sister then
she was.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Like two and a half, she was like yeah in
the background, you know, cheering him all, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Yeah, I love my dad. My dad love me. Yeah,
you know, and he just got come into it. But
it was just his.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
At that young age, he knew that he needed his
father in his life. And a lot of times, you know,
boys substitute by getting involved with the wrong people, you know.
And when we look for we do mentoring. And when
I say mentoring and I ask for volunteers, I don't
just ask for men. I say positive male role models,
(08:44):
because they can get a man to teach them all
kinds of things that are not.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Positive, you know.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
And they might not know how to be a father
to their father, you know, if they didn't have one
in their life. I call it the negative generation. Don't
have it, you don't know what, you don't know. If
you don't know, you don't know it. And if they
didn't have a father, it's that chain reaction. So if
they didn't have that father in their life, how do
they know how to be a dad because they never
had one, so it's a little confusing to them. And
(09:11):
I've heard that a lot throughout my years of working
with mothers and the fathers, because I think that they
are just as important. And one thing that I do
when I do my support with mothers, I do not
mail bash. Regardless if their father, the father of their
child is in their life or not.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
They are necessary.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Some women they want to keep their children away from
the dad because he's not paying child support, he's not
doing this. But when he is able to, I think
it's important for him to be there, especially if he's
a positive, you know, xiety, and you know, he's their
dad regardless, absolutely, and.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
They don't care about all the other stuff. My son
was five and he told me he was crying and
he said, Daddy wouldn't have loved if you worn't so mean,
and I'm like, okay, however, daddy was a crackhead and
that we couldn't we couldn't do daddy no more cause
daddy was stealing everything out of the house and causing
(10:13):
drama and taking the car. And you know, he didn't
understand that as a five year old. He really did not, And.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
You know, what And it's essent you that we don't
talk negative about the dad.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
In front of them, they will find out tells me
for themselves.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
And that's what I always I would always say, people
say you need to tell them. I said, they're too young.
They're gonna see it for themselves. And even after they
got bigger, they saw it for themselves. I never had
to say one word.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
When he was in the home. He was a good dad.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
He was a good dad, he really was.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
But we couldn't compete with the drugs.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
You know.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Yeah, isn't that something. Isn't that something? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:55):
And then especially with their dad not being in the household,
and when he got them, he did fun things with them,
you know, he didn't have to discipline them.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
So I was the mean one.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
I was the one that, you know, got on them
and listened, I'm not having that, you know, and their
father was like, you know nah, So thank god, you know,
I had to be that strict mom.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
And I remember one one boy.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
In the neighborhood he said he said something to me
because I was the house that everybody came to, because
I wanted my sons. I wanted to know their friends.
And that's important to know their friends. So my door
was open to their friends. And even if it wasn't
their friends, just to find out who they were hanging around,
because to say friends, you know, it might not be
(11:43):
their friends.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
It couldn't been associate.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
One of my sons, my oldest son, he one of
the boys in the neighborhood. You know, he wanted to
come around, you know, to find out whatever you know,
to be in my household or whatever. And then my
son I didn't have to tell him not to be
with him. He found out on his own.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Yeah. And one boy in the neighborhood said, Miss NorVa.
He said something to me.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
I don't know how we came up with the conversation,
but he said, you wouldn't have had that. I'm like, you,
you know, you wouldn't allow your son to do this,
You wouldn't allow them.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
I'm like, how you know that he really would have
aroubed my boys.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
But I guess the word got around, don't mess around,
don't mess don't mess with me. And I would do anything,
you know, for the kids in the neighborhood, the boys,
but just don't try to steal.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
From me, don't you know, lie to me?
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Be up run and we'd be okay, respect me and
I respect you.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
In some of your information that you wrote a book, Yeah,
that's a matter of fact.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I had the book right here because I mean, he's
gonna help you, the main mule.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
So I traveled the country because I wanted to do
something different. After my sons were grown, I'm like, okay,
it's time for me to do a life change and thing.
And so I wanted to get out of others raised
their sons really to step aside. And God wouldn't allow me,
or would other people allow me. But I traveled the
(13:07):
country and got stories. So they are real life experiences,
and I think that's more important to have real life
experiences about you know, the dude, it's hindsight. You know
what you could have, would have, should have done. But
now you can help somebody with your story. So I
got stories from boys, from mothers, from men that were
(13:31):
raised by a.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Female, or you know a lot of them.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Some of them are raised by their grandmothers and great grandmothers.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
So I just asked them a story.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
A lot of times they were like, I can't talk
that long, and sometime I had to cut.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Okay, that's enough.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
I just asked them about an experience and to get
some advice from a to z.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I didn't care what it was.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
From add adhd anger, blending family, he's bullying, dating, disciplined, divorce,
and it's surprising.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I had one story from this man.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
He was seventy eight years old, and he gave me
a story about being abandoned. So he was abandoned by
his mother and his father. And then after he gave
me his his story, his experience with that as a
little boy. He he just thanked me, he said, because
he had this built up in him all these years
(14:29):
about being abandoned, and by just talking about it it
helped him.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
So I'm like wow.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
So and this one guy gave me a story about
him being in he's in jail, prison for life because
he was associated with somebody else that killed somebody in
New York and the guy did a bleeed of plea bargain,
the one that actually shot the guy and killed him.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
And he's out now by the other man that didn't come.
You know, what is it? What is word? I'm looking for?
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Yeah, friends, and now he in jail for life. So
he gave me a story, and that is in this
book too. Actually, God gave me several books, so this
is value.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
One, so I will be doing volume. He gave me
seven volumes.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Also, this is from the mother's point of view more
so and the boys.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
But then it's fathers.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
I think there's three sides to a story, you know,
it's it's the mom's side, the father's side, and then
the truth.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
In that's right.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
Yeah, yeah, So I would love to get some stories
from men, and it could be their short stories. You know,
you could just tell me about a situation where you're from.
Because we raise our children according to where we live.
So somebody in New York and somebody in Mississippi, they
raised their children differently, you know, so that is important
to know that. And you always sometimes you feel like
(15:58):
I'm all alone. But then when you hear about stories like.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Oh, you've been through that, you going through.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
That, you know, and they give their story, so it's
some advice afterwards.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
So they give me a story and then they give
me their advice.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Absolutely tell folks where they can find that book.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
It's on Amazon, or you can also order it for me.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
You can email me at Lisa dot Norwood at Mothers
raisingsns dot org. That's l I s A dot n
O r w O O d at m O t
A t r s r A I s I n
g s O n s dot org.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
All right, all right, we're gonna switch gears for a minute.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Mother's Day.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Mother's Day is all the way, and you are putting
on an event just for moms, not moms and daughters,
not moms and granddaughters, just mothers, right, yes.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Yes, and that is it's called Mother's moving for or
toward educating and inspiring generations. I think it's important as
in Titus two three say that we the older women,
we're supposed to get back to the younger wo get women, yes,
and get back to each other too. So it's Saturday
(17:17):
made a third at twelve thirty and it's at Hope
International Banquet Hall and Ellenwood Oaks Community Cafe at one
two three for Pinola Road and Elements. And we're also
looking for financial support of any amount products or gifts, volunteers.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
We need those, and also entertainment. If you can sing, dance.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Or tell some poetry or you know, get some rap,
that'll be fine, just to entertain.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
And also it's important for our boys.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
So we're gonna have our men there two the men
are gonna still be in mentoring to our boys to
teach them how to be.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Gentlemen. You know, yes, to pull out that open.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Up the door for the mothers and on the red
carpet and and escort them to their table and their
chairs and pull out their chairs.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
That's important.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
You know.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
They seems like that's a loss.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
A loss of heart maybe, yeah, yeah, so it's yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
It's important so that they can teach them that, you know,
manhood with boys at mentoring them while they are out there.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
That's right, that's right, that's right. And they can they
can reach out to where to get those tickets.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
They are event bright. And also you can still call
me four four two four eighty six or email me
and I can lead you in the right direction. They'll
give you the QR code if you need, or you
can email me.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Yeah, all right.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
One more thing we just got to touch on is
uh mother's raising sons empowerment on Mondays.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Yes, so well it's two days because we do we
do wise guys for the guys on Thursdays, you know,
and the guys are empowering the boys because a boy
will not talk about their issue concern with their mother
or what they're going through. But they will talk to
among each other and we have positive mail role models
(19:21):
to give them suggestions and ideas of their issues, concerns,
whatever they're going through. And then we also have Wisdom
Women on Mondays from seven o'clock to seven forty five
and if you're interested, I can send you a link.
It's on zoom and we talk about women issues whatever
you know, whatever's going on, and it's an open mic
(19:43):
and we ask you to keep it real.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
We're talking about.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Real life situation, not what's in the book or you
know a psychiatrist or you.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Know a counselor.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
But we are talking about real life issues women of
what they go through based on their life experiences.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
It's a support group.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
It's really great to be able to share.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Yeah, yes, and inspire one another too. You know, we
want to empower them for their godly given talent, gifts
and abilities. You know, sometimes you just need that push,
you know, you.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Need that support. You know how you doing?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
You know accountability? You know how are you doing on
what you want? What you started on? You know what
do you need from us? And we as women, we
need to support one.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Another yes we do, Yes we do.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Again, tell everybody how they can reach out to you.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Uh, Lisa, l I S A dot Norwood n O
R W O O D at Mothers Raising Sons all
plural and four four two four seven one zero eight
six and the website is Mothers.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
M O T H E R S Race. Thank our
A I S I n G.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
Sons and so NS dot org to seeing you, hear from.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
You absolutely, Lisa, thank you so much for joining us.
Lisa Norwood, founder CEO of Mothers Raising Sons, Thanks for
joining us.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Thank you for inviting me listens to you.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Thanks so much for joining me for good News today.
If you'd like to be a guest, you can contact
me at good News at thepgnetwork dot org. You can
watch the program on all streaming platforms and I'll see
you next time for some good news. God bless you
Thank you for joining me today on Good News with
Twanda Black. We're we are discovering some of the most
inspiring trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up
a friend and let them know it's time for some
good news.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Welcome to Good News with Twanda Black. I am your host,
and we talk with folks from all walks of life
about their good news because ultimately, if our brothers and
sisters are.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Doing well, we are doing well.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
We celebrate that. Right, yes, it back, Relax and enjoy.
This guest joining us today is Lisa Norwood. She is
founder and CEO of Missus Mother Raising Sons. How are
you doing, Lisa, Oh.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I'm happily alive and yourself happily alive.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Happily alive too.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
I love that well.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
First of all, tell us a little bit about your
background and how you started and why you started Mother's
Raising Sons.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Okay, in nineteen ninety nine, I was a single mother
of three wonderful sons. At the time, they were five, six,
and fifteen years old. I was searching for an organization
that would provide educational support for mothers rearing boys and
mentoring to the sons. I had no family in Georgia,
and my three sons desired and needed a positive male
(01:44):
role model in their life, and I needed to be
on point with their development also.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
So I was.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
At the time, I was employed a supervisor in juvenile court,
which is the second largest in Georgia, and after witnessing
an extensive volume of black males being raised by females
alone in the juvenile justice system, it became apparent to
me that there was a need for a support organization.
(02:12):
I was aware of the numerous programs for boys already
in the system, but nothing to prevent them from becoming
first time offenders. Extensive research was conducted throughout the Atlanta
metro area of the needed services, and the responses was
overwhelmingly in favor of starting the program.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
So after I.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Searched again for my boys, I prayed and fast for
God to send me an answer, and I thought I
heard start a program.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
I'm like, oh what? So I continued breagnant and waiting
for another answer.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Okay, to start a program again, And then one of
my employees came to me and said, somebody at the
front that needed to see me. I went to the
front that and she had a six year old little
boy say he need a probation officer because I don't
know what to.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Do with him. Woo.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
So I questioned them God, and he told me again,
you know, step out. But I'm like, I can't to
step out. I'm like, but what about this? What about that?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
He is to step out on faith?
Speaker 4 (03:20):
He would be with me always and put the right
people in my path, and he would be my rock.
So I shouted, oh Lord, I don't know how, and
he said he will move those mountains into hills in
hill and.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
You know you can't stand on them at hills too long,
especially to him. You know, I could move forward.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
And despite my family, friends and co workers disapproving of
me leaving my position as a supervisor with a guaranteed
income for an unknown income, I resigned from my management
position with benefits from juvenile court, and I stepped out
on faith and birth mothers Raising Sons nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
But you know, you saw a need, and it always
says when you see your need and it's a passion,
you gotta feel it. You've gotta feel it. Oh my goodness,
that's amazing, you know. I when my kids were younger,
there are a few things out there, but not many.
I tried to find role.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Models for I'm a mom of sons as well.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
And raising boys is a little different, you know, it's
just a little bit different than raising girls. I talk
to people all the time that have both girls and boys,
and they say, boys are so much easier.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
What do you think, Oh, most definitely boys are, Because
now I have a granddaughter and I see the difference.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Well, I had two of them.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
But you know, my belief is that a mother raises
her daughter and spoils her son, where father raises his
son is spoiled and true, so true, Yeah, it is
a it is a difference. And a lot of times
we're trying to raise a boy to be a man,
and how do we do that when we quite don't
understand all the what they need and you know, their
(05:04):
designs because we've never been a boy, So how do
we do that? So and education starts at home, you know,
So as a single mother, our responsibility for the moral, social,
ethnic values, finance education of her household. And how do
we do that with a boy if they don't have
a positive male role model in that life? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yeah, and that's needed.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Absolutely, absolutely, so talk about programming. What are some of
your programming.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Well, I want to go back to one thing because
I was in a workshop one time and I got up,
and you know there's sometimes they have you introduce yourself.
So I got up and said who I was, and
then I said, a mother cannot be a father nor
a positive male role model to her son, but she
tries to play the role.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Oh my goodness. I had so many women in there.
Speaker 6 (05:54):
They was like, I'm a good father to my son.
Speaker 7 (05:59):
The father is the word exactly. It was men in
the audience. I'm like, come on, guys, you know what
y'all got to say? And they didn't say anything.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I mean I was I felt like I was attacked.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
So there was one woman she was quiet, and then
even the host got involved, and I'm like, oh my god.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You know, you can't be a father to your son.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Even though nowadays they do have father's father Day cards
to the mother, you know, but still you cannot be
a father to your to your son.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
You know, you can try.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Them all you try, That's right, you can't and you
could do a good job in raising him, but you
cannot substitute.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
That dad, right, right, And so talk about the benefits
of having a father in the home. We're seeing some
of the ramifications right now, but talk about the benefits,
the pros and cons of having a father and not
having a father, and of course having a father that's
(06:58):
not engaged is just like not having a father sometimes,
but talk about the pros and cons of that.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Well, I'm not sure. Well, their father was in their life,
but I was a disciplinary one.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
He was the fun dad, you know, and then if
he said he was going to show up and he didn't,
and I felt guilty. So I had to do something,
you know, to lift his spirits up. And I think
that might be part of how we fail our sons,
you know, because we're trying to substitute in a way
of their emotions of what they're going through because they
(07:35):
don't have their father.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
And my grandson he got so emotional.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
He was like five years old, and he just got
emotional because his father, I mean his mother and his
father not I mean his.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Father and mother are not together.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
And he just he had me crying and tears because
he said he was speaking from the heart and he
said fathers are so necessary.
Speaker 6 (07:58):
I don't know why my mom, you know, as against
my dad. My dad loves me, and I know he does,
and I need my dad. I mean he was almost
in tears. And then my granddaughter and his sister then
she was.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Like two and a half, she was like yeah in
the background, you know, cheering him all, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Yeah, I love my dad. My dad love me. Yeah,
you know, and he just got come into it. But
it was just his.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
At that young age, he knew that he needed his
father in his life. And a lot of times, you know,
boys substitute by getting involved with the wrong people, you know.
And when we look for we do mentoring. And when
I say mentoring and I ask for volunteers, I don't
just ask for men. I say positive male role models,
(08:44):
because they can get a man to teach them all
kinds of things that are not.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Positive, you know.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
And they might not know how to be a father
to their father, you know, if they didn't have one
in their life. I call it the negative generation. Don't
have it, you don't know what, you don't know. If
you don't know, you don't know it. And if they
didn't have a father, it's that chain reaction. So if
they didn't have that father in their life, how do
they know how to be a dad because they never
had one, so it's a little confusing to them. And
(09:11):
I've heard that a lot throughout my years of working
with mothers and the fathers, because I think that they
are just as important. And one thing that I do
when I do my support with mothers, I do not
mail bash. Regardless if their father, the father of their
child is in their life or not.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
They are necessary.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Some women they want to keep their children away from
the dad because he's not paying child support, he's not
doing this. But when he is able to, I think
it's important for him to be there, especially if he's
a positive, you know, xiety, and you know, he's their
dad regardless, absolutely, and.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
They don't care about all the other stuff. My son
was five and he told me he was crying and
he said, Daddy wouldn't have loved if you worn't so mean,
and I'm like, okay, however, daddy was a crackhead and
that we couldn't we couldn't do daddy no more cause
daddy was stealing everything out of the house and causing
(10:13):
drama and taking the car. And you know, he didn't
understand that as a five year old. He really did not, And.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
You know, what And it's essent you that we don't
talk negative about the dad.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
In front of them, they will find out tells me
for themselves.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
And that's what I always I would always say, people
say you need to tell them. I said, they're too young.
They're gonna see it for themselves. And even after they
got bigger, they saw it for themselves. I never had
to say one word.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
When he was in the home. He was a good dad.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
He was a good dad, he really was.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
But we couldn't compete with the drugs.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
You know.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Yeah, isn't that something. Isn't that something? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:55):
And then especially with their dad not being in the household,
and when he got them, he did fun things with them,
you know, he didn't have to discipline them.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
So I was the mean one.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
I was the one that, you know, got on them
and listened, I'm not having that, you know, and their
father was like, you know nah, So thank god, you know,
I had to be that strict mom.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
And I remember one one boy.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
In the neighborhood he said he said something to me
because I was the house that everybody came to, because
I wanted my sons. I wanted to know their friends.
And that's important to know their friends. So my door
was open to their friends. And even if it wasn't
their friends, just to find out who they were hanging around,
because to say friends, you know, it might not be
(11:43):
their friends.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
It couldn't been associate.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
One of my sons, my oldest son, he one of
the boys in the neighborhood. You know, he wanted to
come around, you know, to find out whatever you know,
to be in my household or whatever. And then my
son I didn't have to tell him not to be
with him. He found out on his own.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Yeah. And one boy in the neighborhood said, Miss NorVa.
He said something to me.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
I don't know how we came up with the conversation,
but he said, you wouldn't have had that. I'm like, you,
you know, you wouldn't allow your son to do this,
You wouldn't allow them.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
I'm like, how you know that he really would have
aroubed my boys.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
But I guess the word got around, don't mess around,
don't mess don't mess with me. And I would do anything,
you know, for the kids in the neighborhood, the boys,
but just don't try to steal.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
From me, don't you know, lie to me?
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Be up run and we'd be okay, respect me and
I respect you.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
In some of your information that you wrote a book, Yeah,
that's a matter of fact.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I had the book right here because I mean, he's
gonna help you, the main mule.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
So I traveled the country because I wanted to do
something different. After my sons were grown, I'm like, okay,
it's time for me to do a life change and thing.
And so I wanted to get out of others raised
their sons really to step aside. And God wouldn't allow me,
or would other people allow me. But I traveled the
(13:07):
country and got stories. So they are real life experiences,
and I think that's more important to have real life
experiences about you know, the dude, it's hindsight. You know
what you could have, would have, should have done. But
now you can help somebody with your story. So I
got stories from boys, from mothers, from men that were
(13:31):
raised by a.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Female, or you know a lot of them.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Some of them are raised by their grandmothers and great grandmothers.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
So I just asked them a story.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
A lot of times they were like, I can't talk
that long, and sometime I had to cut.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Okay, that's enough.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
I just asked them about an experience and to get
some advice from a to z.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I didn't care what it was.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
From add adhd anger, blending family, he's bullying, dating, disciplined, divorce,
and it's surprising.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I had one story from this man.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
He was seventy eight years old, and he gave me
a story about being abandoned. So he was abandoned by
his mother and his father. And then after he gave
me his his story, his experience with that as a
little boy. He he just thanked me, he said, because
he had this built up in him all these years
(14:29):
about being abandoned, and by just talking about it it
helped him.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
So I'm like wow.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
So and this one guy gave me a story about
him being in he's in jail, prison for life because
he was associated with somebody else that killed somebody in
New York and the guy did a bleeed of plea bargain,
the one that actually shot the guy and killed him.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
And he's out now by the other man that didn't come.
You know, what is it? What is word? I'm looking for?
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Yeah, friends, and now he in jail for life. So
he gave me a story, and that is in this
book too. Actually, God gave me several books, so this
is value.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
One, so I will be doing volume. He gave me
seven volumes.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Also, this is from the mother's point of view more
so and the boys.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
But then it's fathers.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
I think there's three sides to a story, you know,
it's it's the mom's side, the father's side, and then
the truth.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
In that's right.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
Yeah, yeah, So I would love to get some stories
from men, and it could be their short stories. You know,
you could just tell me about a situation where you're from.
Because we raise our children according to where we live.
So somebody in New York and somebody in Mississippi, they
raised their children differently, you know, so that is important
to know that. And you always sometimes you feel like
(15:58):
I'm all alone. But then when you hear about stories like.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Oh, you've been through that, you going through.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
That, you know, and they give their story, so it's
some advice afterwards.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
So they give me a story and then they give
me their advice.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Absolutely tell folks where they can find that book.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
It's on Amazon, or you can also order it for me.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
You can email me at Lisa dot Norwood at Mothers
raisingsns dot org. That's l I s A dot n
O r w O O d at m O t
A t r s r A I s I n
g s O n s dot org.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
All right, all right, we're gonna switch gears for a minute.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Mother's Day.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Mother's Day is all the way, and you are putting
on an event just for moms, not moms and daughters,
not moms and granddaughters, just mothers, right, yes.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Yes, and that is it's called Mother's moving for or
toward educating and inspiring generations. I think it's important as
in Titus two three say that we the older women,
we're supposed to get back to the younger wo get women, yes,
and get back to each other too. So it's Saturday
(17:17):
made a third at twelve thirty and it's at Hope
International Banquet Hall and Ellenwood Oaks Community Cafe at one
two three for Pinola Road and Elements. And we're also
looking for financial support of any amount products or gifts, volunteers.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
We need those, and also entertainment. If you can sing, dance.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Or tell some poetry or you know, get some rap,
that'll be fine, just to entertain.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
And also it's important for our boys.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
So we're gonna have our men there two the men
are gonna still be in mentoring to our boys to
teach them how to be.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Gentlemen. You know, yes, to pull out that open.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Up the door for the mothers and on the red
carpet and and escort them to their table and their
chairs and pull out their chairs.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
That's important.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
You know.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
They seems like that's a loss.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
A loss of heart maybe, yeah, yeah, so it's yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
It's important so that they can teach them that, you know,
manhood with boys at mentoring them while they are out there.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
That's right, that's right, that's right. And they can they
can reach out to where to get those tickets.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
They are event bright. And also you can still call
me four four two four eighty six or email me
and I can lead you in the right direction. They'll
give you the QR code if you need, or you
can email me.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Yeah, all right.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
One more thing we just got to touch on is
uh mother's raising sons empowerment on Mondays.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Yes, so well it's two days because we do we
do wise guys for the guys on Thursdays, you know,
and the guys are empowering the boys because a boy
will not talk about their issue concern with their mother
or what they're going through. But they will talk to
among each other and we have positive mail role models
(19:21):
to give them suggestions and ideas of their issues, concerns,
whatever they're going through. And then we also have Wisdom
Women on Mondays from seven o'clock to seven forty five
and if you're interested, I can send you a link.
It's on zoom and we talk about women issues whatever
you know, whatever's going on, and it's an open mic
(19:43):
and we ask you to keep it real.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
We're talking about.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Real life situation, not what's in the book or you
know a psychiatrist or you.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Know a counselor.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
But we are talking about real life issues women of
what they go through based on their life experiences.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
It's a support group.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
It's really great to be able to share.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Yeah, yes, and inspire one another too. You know, we
want to empower them for their godly given talent, gifts
and abilities. You know, sometimes you just need that push,
you know, you.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Need that support. You know how you doing?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
You know accountability? You know how are you doing on
what you want? What you started on? You know what
do you need from us? And we as women, we
need to support one.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Another yes we do, Yes we do.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Again, tell everybody how they can reach out to you.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Uh, Lisa, l I S A dot Norwood n O
R W O O D at Mothers Raising Sons all
plural and four four two four seven one zero eight
six and the website is Mothers.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
M O T H E R S Race. Thank our
A I S I n G.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
Sons and so NS dot org to seeing you, hear from.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
You absolutely, Lisa, thank you so much for joining us.
Lisa Norwood, founder CEO of Mothers Raising Sons, Thanks for
joining us.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Thank you for inviting me listens to you.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Thanks so much for joining me for good News today.
If you'd like to be a guest, you can contact
me at good News at thepgnetwork dot org. You can
watch the program on all streaming platforms and I'll see
you next time for some good news. God bless you
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