From fighting for evidence for their killed children, to being advocates while they’re alive, Black mothers have always been an integral part of the conversation around anti-Black policing.
But now, they have a new voice.
In Georgia, where police killed 121 Black people between 2013 and 2020, this group refuses to let us forget that they were all somebody’s children. They’re called Georgia Moms United – a support group for mothers who’ve lost their children to police violence.
“Unfortunately, a lot of these families didn’t get the luxury of having their loved ones murdered on video,” co-founder Dalphine Robinson observed. That’s why they’re speaking up, and seeking justice now.
But that’s not all they do.
They also cry. “People don’t understand that when you lose a child … to the ones that are supposed to protect and serve [it] makes it even harder,” co-founder Tammie Featherstone says.
When an officer kills a Black child, it's more than just an event or a name we remember. The families they're forced to leave behind must navigate society with an incalculable amount of grief, deeply affecting their mental health.
As we challenge the system that killed their children, we must also listen for their testimonies, their ideas, and their mental well-being. You can support Georgia Moms United at https://bit.ly/2W3nf2Z.