After two years in a pandemic, mothers expressing rage are harnessing their power

Feminists have advocated for mothers and the redistribution of responsibilities in the home for years, but after two years of the pandemic, mothers are tired. (Shutterstock)

Mothering during the pandemic has been covered extensively — from issues of economic hardship, to untenable caregiving responsibilities, acute and ongoing strains on maternal mental health, a swelling mental load and a shadow pandemic of male violence against women. This coverage, while it has felt validating at times, has itself become exhausting.

In January, when a photo of women screaming into the abyss from the 50-yard line was featured in the New York Times, I wondered where we could go from here. These mothers weren’t screaming because their kids were scoring touchdowns. They were screaming to release years of pent-up fury resulting from their non-stop work.