Ashley C. Ford is the senior features writer for Refinery 29, and has also written for a wide range of other publications, including The Guardian, Elle, and Teen Vogue. She was raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, by a single mom, after her dad was incarcerated when Ashley was six months old. In this episode, Ashley talks to us about how she dealt with her mom's anger growing up, her mom's role in her career, and what has changed--for better and for worse--for black mothers in recent decades.

TMAYM Episode1 AshleyFord Mixdown

Your mom is likely the first female role model you had--good or bad. Our relationships with our mothers have an impact on us, and that's especially true for women. In Tell Me About Your Mother, journalist Amy Westervelt talks to a variety of women about what their mothers taught them, connecting these personal histories to the broader story of the evolving roles, expectations and opportunities for modern women.