“No one should have to spend Mother’s Day in a cell.” Activists Band Together To Bail Out Our Black Mothers.

Activists are coming together to help make this Mother’s Day extra special for as many incarcerated black women across the country they can reach. Black Lives Matter, Color of Change and other organizations are helping to bail out black moms. The campaign is called National Bail Out Day, their goal is to provide incarcerated black women who are unable to afford bail a chance to spend the special day with their loved ones. Those who identify as queer, trans, or who are young, old, or an immigrant are offered the opportunity.

Screenshot 20170511 194247In statement sent to HuffPost Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of Color Of Change  said

“No one — whether they’re a birth mother, an aunt, or a teacher — should have to spend Mother’s Day in a cell just because they can’t afford bail.”

“Money bail and the industry that profits from it has long been destroying our communities”

“So this Mother’s Day Black people across the country are going to reunite our families and demand an end to that system.”

Screenshot 20170511 193741

Organizations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, New Orleans, New York City and St. Petersburg, Florida will work with communities, public defenders, and other institutions to raise money to help raise the bail money. After being released they will provide the mothers with resources. According to the campaign’s site, mothers account for around 8 in 10 that are incarcerated. A large number have either never been convicted of a crime or have been accused of minor offenses and aren’t able to post bail.

Spending even a few days in jail she can cause her to lose her job, housing, and sometimes her children. The majority of crimes they are accused of are minor drug offenses or “quality of life” offenses. These women are suffering in jail because they cannot afford to pay bail.

Mary Hooks, the co-director for Southerners on New Ground, an organization partnering with the campaign shared

“We are the ones who take care of and hold down our families, chosen and biological. When we, black women and black mamas, are taken from our communities, we all suffer.”

So this Mother’s Day lets hope as many black mamas gain their freedom and make it home.

You can watch the National Mamas Bailout Day video below

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