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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices