By African American Books Author Denise Turney

Portia is another example of how much a daughter needs her mother’s love, especially during life’s crossroads. Portia’s mother is a teacher, a career where leaders inspire. But she doesn’t just teach, she implements progressive ideas at home and at school, opening her family and students to greater goodness.

Portia – Memories of a Great Inspiring Teacher

When I look back over my childhood and consider adults who I admired, people who I wanted to be pleased with me, my third-grade teacher definitely comes to mind. My third-grade schoolteacher was caring, thoughtful, smart and sharp.

She really cared about the students she taught. After my mother passed, there were times when I wished that my third-grade schoolteacher was my substitute mom.

My third-grade teacher was an inspiring, progressive woman, not unlike Portia’s mother. Just being around my third-grade teacher made me believe that amazing possibilities were open for me as a woman, and this at a time when women were perceived to be weaker than men.

Portia’s Mother, Inspiring Progressive Teacher

Portia’s mother is a prominent Chicago schoolteacher. Her husband was active in the civil rights movement, working the frontlines to improve communities and the country. Her students trust her so much that they seek her out for guidance and support.

“Try harder,” Portia’s mother encourages her students, inspiring them to reach beyond the break, to do more than they believe they can do. “Deep down, you know you can do amazingly good, awesome deeds,” she’d tell her students, further inspiring them.

“If people tell you that you can’t do something, remember that they are only telling you what they think they can or can’t achieve,” she’d continue. “And I know you. Because I know you, I believe in you.” After a pause, Portia’s mother would tell her students, “I know that you can do any good thing.”

Teachers Are Inspirational Mothers

In those and other ways, she was so much like my third-grade teacher, always looking out for a child who wasn’t her own. That could be why some teachers are inspirational mothers. During the hardest experiences, times like the challenging COVID-19, teachers find a way.

It’s why, even after teaching in a classroom all day, Portia’s mother always has the energy to cover Portia and her siblings with love and care. Her work and her loving partnership with her husband allow Portia and her siblings to grow up in a courageous, happy family, a family that is an anchor in the community.

Portia grew up on Chicago’s South Side at a time when, around the United States, family was a stronger bond than a legal contract. Families looked out for each other. It’s part of the reason why Portia’s mother was such a fierce, loyal and loving mother.

Loving Roots Inspire

As a child, Portia doesn’t know how important her mother’s care will be to her future. It is her mother’s love that helps to give Portia the strength to keep going when she faces one of her life’s toughest challenges – breast cancer.

It’s this loving root that won’t let Portia’s story be depressing, even while it examines the challenges that she faces as she deals with breast cancer. Just as Portia’s mother’s students do, readers turn to the story to be inspired, encouraged and empowered. Read more about Portia in the self-titled book below.