By Jordan Nickels |
“We must bring awareness.… Don’t wait until tragedy knocks on your door.” Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner.
What started as a hashtag became a movement. After the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, a group came together to start the Black Lives Matter Movement to promote changes to police brutality, gun reform, and race relations within law enforcement. The names of these boys have lived on through some of the most prominent faces of Black Lives Matter, “The Mothers of the Movement.” Including the mothers of Martin and Brown, all of these women have had a child die by police action or in police custody.
“You don’t stop being a parent when your child dies. I am still Jordan Davis’ mother. His life ended the day he was shot and killed for playing loud music. But my job as his mother didn’t.” – Lucia McBath, Mother of Jordan Davis.
These incredible mothers have traveled around the country, speaking out for change and providing support for other mothers. They were featured in a campaign video for Hillary Clinton and even spoke at the Democratic National Convention last year, endorsing her for President of the United States.
While these women are out speaking about police brutality, they also praise and commend the good police officers in our forces that are implementing changes in the way they do their jobs.
“This is a bad time to be a good cop in this country, OK? We need to remember they have lives too.” – Geneva Reed-Veal, mother of Sandra Bland.
Read more about “The Mothers of the Movement” below:
http://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/news/a38111/who-are-mothers-of-the-movement-dnc/
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-dnc-mothers-of-the-movement-20160726-snap-story.html
FST Stage Directions 