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Videos by American Songwriter
As a licensed mortician, Tiffany Pollack is painfully familiar with the aftermath of violent abuse. As a mother, she’s intimately aware of its genesis. As an award-winning songwriter and performer, she has a platform to share a very personal and poignant message.
Reflections on the vicious cycle of abuse witnessed through a retrospective of the life and death of a childhood acquaintance inspired Pollack to examine the tragic effects of toxic masculinity as it passes through generations. As society conditions boys for violence via expectations that males are “tough,” a traumatic and seemingly endless cycle has emerged.
Pollack found a sisterhood of passion and purpose with Nola Blue Records president Sallie Bengtson, as the two mothers shared experiences navigating the emotional minefields of raising their own sons. The women reached out to another kindred spirit and “boy mom,” reigning queen of contemporary blues, Shemekia Copeland, who says, “Mamas….listen with your ears and all your heart to this powerful song [‘Baby Boys’]. Because no matter how hard we try there’s a mean old world waiting to grab our baby boys straight from our arms. Let’s hope this wonderful song can help a few more baby boys grow into men that would make any mama proud.”
Pollack purposefully extends her focus beyond the problems to also being part of the solution. As such, all proceeds from her single “Baby Boys,” featured on the upcoming album Bayou Liberty—out July 16, will be donated to The Audrey Hepburn Children at Risk Evaluation (CARE) Center in New Orleans, a comprehensive child abuse center providing state-of-the-art pediatric forensic medical evaluations. The CARE Center is active in the treatment, consultation, prevention, training, education and research of maltreated children, including victims of physical abuse, neglect and sexual abuse. Pollack knows firsthand of the power of their programs through the eyes of a friend who received excellent support there when his little girl was sexually abused.
“Being a parent is the hardest job there is. What happens to our children in childhood is the foundation for the rest of their lives. It’s the ground they stand on. Make that ground sturdy so it doesn’t swallow them,” says Pollack.
Solid advice from a mama who undeniably knows best.
For more information on Tiffany check out her website here.
Photo by Andrew Pollack
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