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Chicago is rolling out the red carpet for mothers this weekend with a host of celebrations.
On Saturday, the city and its suburbs buzzed with events dedicated to honoring the invaluable contributions of moms, all leading up to Mother’s Day on Sunday.
Beyond family gatherings, mothers are coming together to uplift and support one another in meaningful ways.
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Saturday’s festivities were highlighted by the 2026 Magnificent Mothers of Praise and Power Extravaganza on the West Side, where 81-year-old mother and grandmother Barbara McGowan joined the celebration.
“Being a mom is an everyday role, not just something for today,” McGowan expressed. “You’re always a mom.”
Sponsored by 37th Ward Alderwoman Emma Mitts, the event brought the community together to celebrate and highlight local mothers.
“It just became a tradition, because now we’re celebrating six years of the Mother’s Day Extravaganza, and we just go all out,” Ald. Mitts said.
Special guests along with elected officials attended the pre-Mother’s Day event, which featured appliance giveaways and the gifting of other essential items donated by Black Men United.
“You name it, it’s out there, icemaker, air fryers,” said Bishop John Harrell with Black Men United. “We’re just here to say, mothers, we love you.”
In west suburban Oak Park, Illinois U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth hosted local leaders, community activists and moms to talk about the challenges of motherhood and what families now face under the current administration.
For many moms this Mother’s Day weekend, the holiday is bittersweet because they’ve tragically lost a child. Around 125 moms attended this year’s Purpose Over Pain Mother’s Day Brunch.
Dantingnac Lock lost her 36-year-old son Cordero in December 2022.
“We all we all walk in the same shoes,” Lock said. “Our stories may be different, but we all have lost somebody that we birthed.”
Co-organizer Pam Bosley says she hopes to help mothers coping with their pain. She lost her son Terrell to gun violence in 2006.
“You get a chance to talk about how you feel,” Bosley said. “If you don’t even talk about it, we could look at you and know what you feel. So it’s a sister circle that no mother wants to be in.”
The moms received a “sip of healing” tea cup symbolizing their emotional journey and released balloons in their children’s honor.
More events and celebrations are being over the weekend across the Chicago area.
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