Marsha Martin, a 37-year-old mother of three Black children with disabilities, recalls the painful moment that sparked her journey to create a vital support network. "As a mother of Black, disabled children, you don't often want to speak about your experience," she admits. "About the fact that your child smeared poo up the wall this morning, or that you don't know how to do their hair because they have sensory processing disorder."
The Breaking Point
Following her eldest daughter's autism diagnosis in 2017, Marsha joined a neurodivergent children's support group in London's outskirts. However, instead of finding community, she encountered exclusion and racism. "I was living in a predominantly non-Black area at this time," she explains. "There would be comments about my daughters' hair, our skin colour. The other mums would exclude us from conversations and ignore us."
The situation deteriorated to the point where groups would pretend not to hear her when she spoke. "I'm originally from Hackney, which is very multicultural and diverse, so I hadn't really experienced racism up until this point," Marsha reveals. Eventually, she left the group "for her sanity," only to discover there were no suitable alternatives for specialized support.
Building a Safe Space
In 2019, Marsha created Black SEN Mamas on Instagram, initially expecting little response. "I just wanted to find people with similar lived experiences to me," she remembers. "But in the first couple of months, we had a few hundred members. I think that probably speaks to the fact that there wasn't anything like this out there."
The group addresses what Marsha describes as "the particular intersection of race and disability whereby we are a minority within a minority, being Black and disabled." She emphasizes the systemic barriers these families face: "There are a whole load of systemic barriers that we're having to navigate alongside trying to access quality support and healthcare like everyone else."
Cultural Understanding and Taboos
As the group grew, Marsha discovered how crucial it was to provide a space where Black mothers could discuss cultural issues without fear of judgment. "There are things Black mamas can feel hesitant talking about when we're not in Black company," she explains. Members finally felt safe addressing culturally embedded taboos, including accusations from within their own communities about children having "black magic" or "voodoo" on them.
In 2020, Marsha formally established Black SEN Mamas as a registered charity. The organization now boasts over 7,000 members and has been shortlisted for Community Group of the Year at the prestigious Scope Awards.
Challenges and Inclusion
Despite widespread acceptance, the group has faced criticism. Marsha recalls receiving a message from "a disgruntled white lady" who complained about the group's name containing "Black." The critic asked how Marsha would feel about a "White SEN Mamas" group.
Marsha responded thoughtfully: "I've been to groups that don't explicitly have that name, but it was not a safe space for me and my children. At Black SEN Mamas, everyone is welcome. I know too well what exclusion feels like. We just prioritise Black mums knowing this is a safe space for them."
The Mental Health Crisis
Marsha, who has also been diagnosed with autism, emphasizes that supporting mothers is equally important as supporting children. "Black women are the least likely demographic to seek out interventional support for mental health," she notes. "After a lifetime of masking and putting our needs on the backburner, it takes a toll on your mental wellbeing."
The consequences can be severe: "Mums are sectioned, or even worse. Children are then left in the care system and a lot of them are very vulnerable. That's why a lot of the work we also do is in suicide prevention."
Political Advocacy and Reform
Marsha's professional background as a behavioral therapist gives her unique insight into systemic failures. "I was a special educational needs professional, so I had access to resources, information and knowledge that lay-mums didn't," she explains. "The local authorities should be giving parents like me all the information on the statutory system, but they don't."
Last year, Marsha established the Black SEN Mamas parliamentary steering group and currently co-campaigns with organizations including IPSEA and Special Needs Jungle on the "Save Our Children's Rights" campaign. Following recent government proposals for SEND reforms, many members have mobilized to draft responses.
"That's why it's important to have groups like mine," Marsha asserts. "We have a group of specialists, we have a census, we have solicitors and lawyers, therapists, social workers, doctors. They're a team of Black mothers with neurodivergent children. They know their stuff. Parents like myself should be leading the conversations on SEND Reform. 7,000 people is a lot of political power."
