On Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, a group of women called ‘Mothers of the Movement’ stepped onstage to give their support to Hillary Clinton. The group is made up of black women who have lost their children to police and gun violence. They believe that working with Clinton will help with their goal to end racist violence.
As the women made their way up on stage, the crowd chanted “Black Lives Matter” in support. The first to speak, Geneva Reed-Vead, shared the story of her daughter, 28-year-old Sandra Bland, and all the pain that came with discovering Bland died in a situation that is all too common in the U.S. She stated that she is “with her” because Hillary “is a leader and a mother, who will say our children’s names. She knows that when a young black life is cut short, it’s not just a loss, it’s a personal loss.”
Eight other mothers stood beside Reed-Vead, including Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton; Eric Garner’s mother Gwen Carr; and Michael Brown’s mother Lezley McSpadden.
#DNCinPHL #update: Mothers of the Movement speak in support of @HillaryClinton and gun control legislation.
https://t.co/MV5jHKegDC— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) July 27, 2016
The mothers told powerful stories about their children’s senseless deaths, including Lucia McBath, mother of 17-year-old Jordan Davis. McBath shared that her son’s life “ended the day he was shot and killed for playing loud music.” She explained that she “lived in fear my son would die like this,” as so many other parents of black children do now. McBath is choosing to support Clinton because she “isn’t afraid to say ‘Black Lives Matter.'” She said Clinton has encouraged these women to come up with an answer to nation’s issue of systemic racism.
Fulton was the third to speak. “I am an unwilling participant in this movement. I would not have signed up for this or any other mother that’s standing here with me today. But I am here today for my son, Trayvon Martin, who is in heaven,” Fulton said. “I didn’t want this spotlight. But will I do everything I can to focus some of that light on a path out of this darkness.”
She stands behind Clinton because Clinton has shown that she has “the courage to lead the fight for common sense gun legislation.”
I bow in gratitude to the #MothersoftheMovement for being Beautiful Bright Beacons of Light even through the dark pic.twitter.com/XOwEIEqIIa
— Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) July 27, 2016
The mothers urged everyone to go out and vote this election, because a win for Clinton and her gun-control policies could mean a lot for other ‘Mothers of the Movement’—mothers who suffered the loss of a child too early.