When a group of Black moms moved into a vacant house with their children, they knew trouble was coming. But they were taking a stand regarding an important matter - one that impacts us all.
They were directly challenging gentrification and participating in an act of civil disobedience.
Calling themselves “Moms 4 Housing,” they decided to stand against the unbelievable costs of housing in Oakland, where this took place. California has half of the most expensive cities to live in the USA, and Oakland is one of them.
And moving into the vacant home was a brazen protest against housing discrimination.
When the police came to evict the women, officers were armed as if they were ready for war. They showed up with high powered rifles, armored vehicles, and full military gear! The community had rallied in support of the mothers, but the raid came during early morning hours like a sneak attack.
After their case ended up in court, a judge ordered them out, but these unhoused and insecurely housed mothers have vowed to keep fighting as a collective.
The housing crisis is devastating Black America. As prices increase, Black home ownership is as low as it was when it was LEGAL to discriminate against us during segregation.
There are Black people without homes everywhere across the USA. As the struggle to fight for fair housing continues, it’s much deeper than building wealth. It’s about making sure that wealth isn’t a requirement to have housing, which is a human right. These moms are leading that fight.