This section of the book deals with later life, mortality, and loneliness, especially as all three women outlived their sons. The Radical Power of Black Motherhood dominates, as Tubbs explores love and loss within the mother-son relationship. Especially, these chapters continue to show how all three mothers prioritized and actively engaged in their children’s education, focusing on their influence into adulthood. Louise’s awareness of the racism embedded in the American educational system led her to “reteach” her children, countering any sense of inferiority and passing on her own teachings. Deciding to practice her own pedagogy, Louise encouraged her children to be proud of their Blackness and expanded their cultural thinking by exposing them to different religious beliefs. Through Louise’s teachings, Malcolm would manage to reconnect with himself after being imprisoned and emerge as a major activist of Black nationalism in the 1960s freedom struggle. Alberta was also instrumental in her children’s education, conveying to them their responsibility of continuing their family legacy of fighting racism. Drawing parallels, Tubbs shows how Alberta countered feelings of inferiority in her children caused by discrimination and reinforced their sense of self-worth. Through Alberta’s teachings and family legacy, her son Martin emerged as a leader in the civil rights struggle in the South, combining his Christian faith with the cause of social justice. Berdis prioritized her children’s education to battle racial and class discrimination that limited their opportunities. As Tubbs notes, James became a reflection of Berdis as, in him, “she saw the same drive […] that she saw in herself” (137). For James, writing became a means of channeling his rage and transforming it into positivity, contrasting his stepfather’s fate. By passing on her creativity, Berdis opened up new possibilities for her son and allowed him to explore his identity and individuality beyond racism.

Tubbs continues to oppose The Erasure of Black Women’s Histories by illustrating the three women’s influence in their son’s politics and activism. As the civil rights movement gained momentum, the three women’s sons emerged as powerful voices and major figures in the struggle. Through their political action and agency, James, Malcolm, and Martin reflected their mothers’ influence and generational wisdom. As Tubbs stresses, their work has a “direct connection” to their mothers’ endeavors, becoming part of a historical struggle for freedom. While Black matriarchy has been historically debased and undermined as the cause of Black family crises, Tubbs counters such notions, substantiating the radical energy of Louise, Alberta, and Berdis, who equipped their sons with transformative power.

The three women’s lives intersect in the loss of their sons and their experiences as Black mothers continued to oscillate between pain and pride. Despite their different experiences, Alberta and Louise witnessed their sons’ assassinations at the height of their activist work—acts of racial hatred and violence that left them in lasting grief. Despite their pain, they remained strong to support their families and grandchildren. The assassinations not only affected the two mothers but also Berdis’s son. James Baldwin continued to give voice to the African American experience through his literary work, but Berdis also outlived him. Witnessing his sickness and death, Berdis connects with Alberta and Louise in a collective grief that constitutes a part of Black motherhood.