Mothers Of The Movement Stand For Their Slain Children At DNC

Mothers of the Movement consists of the mothers of slain men, women, and children as a result of gun violence. Their deaths sparked national and worldwide outrage and protests over the last four years. Tuesday night the mothers, joined together through heartbreak and grief and spoke on behalf of their fallen children. Their message was one of concern and the heartfelt hope that nobody would be in their position in the future. 

The passionate circle of mothers that spoke at the convention included:

• Sybrina Fulton: Mother of 17 year old Trayvon Martin.
• Lezley Spadden: Mother of 18 year old Michael Brown.
• Gwen Carr: Mother of 43 year old Eric Garner.
• Geneva Reed-Vead: Mother of 28 year old Sandra Bland.
• Lucia McBath: Mother of 17 year old Jordan Davis
• Maria Hamilton: Mother of 31 Dontré Hamilton.
• Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley: Mother of 15 year old Hadiya Pendleton.

Here are their speeches in full:

There were several key quotes from their stirring speeches:

• Sybrina Fulton: “This isn’t about being politically correct. This is about saving our children…I would not have signed up for this. None of us would have. I am here for my son, Trayvon Martin, who is in heaven. The club of heartbroken mothers needs to stop growing.”
• Lucia McBath: “I am still Jordan Davis’ mother…this is a conversation no parent should have with their child.”
• Geneva Reed-Vead: “I watched as my daughter, Sandra Bland, was lowered into the ground in a coffin.”

The mothers were met with a standing ovation, many chants, and several tears from the crowd. Earlier in the day, the eight mothers spoke and gave a preview of their speeches. “We must bring awareness… Don’t wait until tragedy knocks on your door,” stated Gewn Carr. Geneva Reed-Vead, shared her perspective on on the tragedy of the slain police officers in the previous weeks, “This is a bad time to be a good cop in this country. OK? We need to remember they have lives too.”

The mothers intend on increasing awareness through more speaking engagements and at rallies across the country.