Mothers of the Movement facts for kids

The Mothers of the Movement is a group of women. They came together because their African American children were killed. This happened either by police officers or through gun violence. These mothers share their stories on TV shows and at events. They talk about losing their children to violence. They also ask for changes to laws. They want stronger gun laws and better rules for police.

The group started after a court case in 2013. A man named George Zimmerman was found not guilty. He had shot and killed a teenager named Trayvon Martin. After this, the Mothers of the Movement began to speak out. They go to many meetings to tell people about problems with police violence in the United States. The women use their sadness to help more people care about their cause. They also show how unfair it was to lose their children. They also talk about how to keep going after a very sad event.

Standing Up for Change

Speaking at the 2016 Democratic Convention

Seven women from the group spoke at a big political meeting. This was the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July 2016. They spoke to support Hillary Clinton, who wanted to be president.

These mothers included:

• Gwen Carr, whose son was Eric Garner
• Sybrina Fulton, whose son was Trayvon Martin
• Maria Hamilton, whose son was Dontre Hamilton
• Lucy McBath, whose son was Jordan Davis
• Lezley McSpadden, whose son was Michael Brown
• Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley, whose daughter was Hadiya Pendleton
• Geneva Reed-Veal, whose daughter was Sandra Bland

Hillary Clinton had met with these women before the event. The Mothers of the Movement then joined Clinton. They traveled with her to support her and ask for an end to these killings.

Samaria Rice, whose son was Tamir Rice, did not join the others. She felt that no candidate was doing enough to stop police violence. So, she did not support anyone. But she did support the other mothers. She hoped they would make Clinton keep her promises. Some people said the Clinton campaign was using the mothers. But the group members said this was not true.

Marching for Women's Rights in 2017

The Mothers of the Movement also joined the Women's March on Washington. This big march happened on January 21, 2017. It was after Donald Trump became president. They marched with singer and actress Janelle Monáe.

Sharing Their Stories in the Media

In August 2016, some members appeared with singer Beyoncé. This was at the MTV Video Music Awards. Gwen Carr, Lezley McSpadden, and Sybrina Fulton were also in Beyoncé's film "LEMONADE". In the film, they held photos of their sons who had died.

Women from the group also appeared on The Dr. Oz Show. The special episode was called "Healing America’s Grief: Mothers of The Movement And Mothers of Slain Officers Together For The First Time." It aired on September 12, 2016. The show had mothers of people killed by police. It also had mothers of police officers killed by others.

Guests included:

• Sybrina Fulton
• Lucy McBath
• Geneva Reed-Veal
• Cleopatra Cowley
• Maria Hamilton
• Samara Rice
• Lesley McSpadden
• Wanda Johnson
• Gwen Carr
• Valerie Zamarripa
• Paulette Thompson
• Nancy Renninger

Both groups talked about losing a child to violence. They also spoke about how hard it is to be sad in public. Geneva Reed-Veal said that people need to talk more about racism and violence around the world.

Gwen Carr, Sybrina Fulton, and Lezley McSpadden spoke at the 2016 Triumph Awards. This event honored people who made a positive difference in society. It was held in Atlanta and shown on TV on October 2, 2016.

Supporting a Candidate in 2020

In the 2020 US Presidential election, the Mothers of the Movement supported Joe Biden. They said that Donald Trump had not offered solutions for many sad shootings during his time as president.

Related Topics

• Black Lives Matter
• Racism in the United States
• Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin
• 2016 United States presidential election