Tichina Arnold and her four-year-old daughter Alijah Haggins pose a glossy photo editorial as seen in the May edition of "Essensce" magazine.

Photographed by Sinden Collier, Tichina and Ajiah are featured in the urban publication's intimate portrait of mothers and daughters.

Excerpts from Tichina & Alijah:

Arnold says she's 'got it good.'" She gets by with a little help from her mother (not to mention her sister, aunt, uncle, friends, a "gay husband" named Gregg, and Arnold's new beau, who works for the NBA.) "God placed the right people in my life," she says. "And he gave me the perfect daughter for me". [ESSENCE.COM]

Because Sunday May 11th is the day mothers are honored, "Essence" also included Grace Gibson's mother Lynn Whitfield, Robin Roberts' mother Lucimarian Roberts, and Laila Ali's mom Veronica Porche.



Lynn & Grace:

As actress Lynn Whitfield, 55, waxes philosophical about what it's like raising a teenage daughter ("The labor pains I went through at the beginning of her life are nothing compared to the labor pains you feel when you are birthing someone from teen years into womanhood"), Grace Gibson, 16, can't resist taking a playful swipe at her mother's sentimentality: "What a metaphor, Mother". [ESSENCE.COM]

Robin & Lucimarian:

...That truth was poignantly illustrated when Robin took off her wig during the ESSENCE photo shoot, and her mother's body language immediately changed. "She clutched me, and I was like, "Mama, what's wrong?" Roberts recalls. Her mother's response? "I just want to protect you". [ESSENCE.COM]

Laila & Veronica:

Laila Ali and her mother don't often see eye to eye, but they agree on one subject: Laila is the overprotective one. "If we go out or leave Laila's house, she always says, "Call me when you get home!" says Veronica Porche, Psy.D, Ali's mother. "I'm overprotective of anyone I care about," explains Ali, 30, in her defense. [ESSENCE.COM]

Photography: Sinden Collier, ESSENCE.COM

Labels: Laila Ali, Lynn Whitfield, Newsstand Snapshots, Tichina Arnold