#MillionMomsMarch and Solidarity Events Saturday May 9

(I’ll fill in as news comes in today.  Also, to see Tweets whole, hold down Control while pressing -, then +; they should justify.)

From Mothers for Justice United.org:

“On Monday, April 20th at 5:00PM, Maria Hamilton gathered mothers of children who have been killed at the hands of police in the St. Louis area, to announce the Million Moms March on Washington this Mother’s Day Weekend.  Mothers from across the country will make their way to the Department of Justice on Saturday, May 9, to present their demands for justice and racial equality, in the names of their slain children. Maria was accompanied by mothers and family members of Antonio Martin, Cary Ball, Jr., Kajieme Powell, O’Dale Terry, Corey Ranson, Charles McCoy, William Rayford, Courtney Williams, Jr., and Michael Willis, making their announcement from Greater St. Mark’s Church in Ferguson, Mo”.  https://vimeo.com/125570301

There are a number of ‘Why I‘m Marching’ stories at the link above; poignant and moving testimonies by these courageous and soulful mothers.  The entire 14 minutes of the press conference Vimeo is here.

Maria is the mother of Dontré Hamilton, mown down by unindicted thug cop Christopher Manney in Milwaukee for sleeping on the sidewalk across the street from Starbucks, and without Manney’s permission and . “Our March is to put our leaders on notice we are not going to be quiet anymore. We’re not going to stand back and continue to let you cover up these deaths by police and do nothing about them,” said Ms.Hamilton. Early this morning she and the others apparently met with White House aids; I’m sure they were quite sympathetic.

‘Why I am Marching on Mother’s Day for My Son’, by Valerie Bell  (Sean Elijah Bell, killed by police in a hail of bullets in 2006 as he was out with friends for his bachelor’s party.  His assassination was compared to that of Amadou Diallo’s, which was lamented so painfully in Bruce Springsteen’s ’41 Shots’.

Julia Ward Howe’s 1870 Mother’s Day Proclamation that Ms Bell referenced is here.

Please forgive me for saying that the constant reference to black sons, males, murdered by police misses the fact that so many black and Indigenous women are killed and brutalized by those who protect the property of the Ownership Class as well, and many of their deaths are comparatively unmourned… and forgotten by too many of us; Rekia Boyd for one.  But when you have a chance, consider reading here at thegrio.com, and at #blackwomenslivesmatter.

I’m glad that they are finally giving voice to their anger and indignation at the fact that women, no matter of which gender identity, have been relatively…unconsidered and marginalized.  In Canada, the disappearance of thousands of Indigenous women have received almost no investigations or governmental attention.

https://twitter.com/_NWArsenal/status/596509165582815232

Black Agenda Report ‏@blkagendareport http://bit.ly/1K8dr6Q Will the #millionmomsmarch harness the mounting flame of Black cries for self-determination?   (Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo)

Solidarity marches are being formed at Ferguson Responses on Tumbler.

A few other items that may be noteworthy:

‘Video of Walter Scott shooting may influence Charlotte officer’s trial’ (In the tragic slaying of unarmed Jonathan Ferrell in 2013 while seeking help after crashing his car.)

Hella hilarious from Afropunk: ‘27 Things You Had to Deal with as the Only Black Kid in Your Class’

‘Police racism may have compromised 3,000 San Francisco cases, officials say; Offensive text messages prompt a review of a decade’s worth of police activity as leadership says trouble is limited to a small group of officers’.  Yes; just a few Bad Apples.

“As the U.S. claims a human rights mantle and criticises others for racism, it becomes the world’s greatest hypocrite.” ~ Michael Ratner to IPS News

Do not call 911 for help for potential suicides unless there is no alternative; the police may dispatch them instead.

p.s. Al Sharpton is safely at the National Action Rally in Harlem this morning; good.  ;-)

But oh, my; the MSM are well-represented at the march, and are Tweeting up storms to prove it.  Wonder if Geraldo and Don Lemon are there?

https://twitter.com/erikljungphoto/status/597061110852886528

via  @brandi_sweets

https://twitter.com/erikljungphoto/status/597066932236492801

https://twitter.com/SpokaneIWW/status/597073296526553088