Co-Parenting as Allies, not Adversaries | Ebony Roberts & Shaka Senghor | TEDxDetroit

Shaka Senghor and Ebony Roberts, who met and fell in love while Shaka was in prison, struggled to navigate their new relationship as co-parents after their breakup. In spite of their hurt, they agreed to parent their son Sekou as allies not adversaries. Their relationship is challenging the popular narrative that parents can’t get along after a love affair ends. In this talk, they share how they show up for their son, and each other.
Ebony Roberts is the principal/founder of QualOne Research, a qualitative research firm based in Los Angeles. She is a native Detroiter who has worked in the food justice and prison abolition movements for nearly 20 years. Her book “The Love Prison Made and Unmade” (Amistad/HarperCollins) is a national bestseller and was named a Notable Memoir by The New York Times. Ebony holds a BA in social relations and psychology and a PhD in educational psychology, both from Michigan State University.

[_Renee]

"fostering trust to coexist as parents" this takes maturity from both sides.

[repssrepps]

I am Great, I am Awsome, I am Amazing, I am Thoughtful, I am kind, I am loving, I am caring, I am funny, I am smart, I’m a big boy, I’m a soldier, I’m a warrior, I am Me

[alexandriaobong]

I could feel the love they have for each other. You could tell their breakup took a lot. Thank you so much for this.

[coparentingcollective]

Awesome! Our children, regardless of their parent's relationship status, want just five things: love, acknowledgment, inclusion, joy, & opportunities. Should it really be that hard to get out of our feelings to let them feel like their life matters too? After divorce, nothing tells our kids they are still important like truly great co-parenting.

[daneedelmar]

I'm working overnight shift and crying at work. I commend your honor for your family and the love you want to extend to your son❤

[Allergictocatstoo]

Screaming from my roof top, love is capable of so much good.

[leahvann]

The first three minutes hit me hard. This whole time I’m blaming him but really, I’m the one to blame because I’m acting off of a hurt mentality and not love.

[Co-ParentingCompass]

Wow, this video by Ebony Roberts and Shaka Senghor is so inspiring! It's incredible to see how they were able to put their differences aside and prioritize their child's well-being as co-parents, even after their breakup. Their approach of being allies instead of adversaries is a game-changer for those struggling with co-parenting. Their story is a testament to the power of forgiveness and the importance of putting our children first. Watching this talk is a must for anyone seeking guidance on how to co-parent successfully after a breakup.

[perfettomusic]

So beautiful. I cried through the entire talk. Thank you for doing this.

[goncanouenochbisd]

How in the world this doesn't have a million views🤷‍♂️

[djgospelslimwtyj.fm]

Her book brought me here. I admire both of them.

[nwad]

They are still in love with each other. But, this is beautiful.

[BETHJUAN]

This is good. Acknowledging the love that once was and allowing it to fuel the love for a shared child. It's aspiring. Thanks for sharing. Me and my daughter's father are in a good space now and it is nice to see other people who are in that same good space.

[Chinatries]

This brought tears to my eyes. Goodness, I have work to do.

[fabco]

Horrible marriage, wonderfull co-parents. I don't know if I should be happy or not, because your son will still grow up in a broken home, no matter how good of a co-parent you are. At the end of the day, I hope it will work out for your son.

[jacobwooten]

I honestly have no clue what the point of this Ted talk is. It was just stories with some exposition all followed by meaningless call and response. They barely touch on love and coparenting at all. They’re both there for him and talk every night. Ok...?

[nicknack]

So she corresponded with a man in prison for murder, then started a family with him? She has a PhD. She could have done so much better and her family would still be intact to this day if she made better choices in her men.