Washington, DC — When Maria Hamilton lost her son Dontre over a year ago to police brutality, she wondered what Mothers Day would be like without him. She would soon realize his loss would be a calling to rally mothers from around the country to waken the Nation to police brutality. On Saturday she led a procession of over 50 mothers who traveled from as far as Seattle to deliver their demands for law enforcement changes to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Over 100 years after Anna Jarvis envisioned Mothers Day as a holiday to recognize mothers and their contributions to family and society, Maria Hamilton and 50 mothers have given the holiday a much deeper meaning. Over fifty Mothers joined voices at John Marshal Park to tell their children’s stories, as only a Mother can do. They recounted how their children grew up, who they played with, their neighborhood friends, their favorite hobbies, pass times and dreams.
Sadly, they also told of the day their fates came indelibly mingled with this day—caught forever on replay in their minds. They recounted how each was senselessly robbed of their life by police and vigilante violence.
Valerie Bell, Mother of Sean Bell, a 23-year-old killed by police in Brooklyn on his wedding day, came to give other mothers support as well as find some for herself. “We were here on December 9 to 11 to do the same thing but it’s good other mothers are stepping forward,” she said. Ms Bell feels change is coming too slowly and if anything, things are getting worse. “If we continue to do this maybe one day there will be a change—it took fifty years for Martin Luther King to do what he did,” she said.
For Ms. Darlene Cain, Mother to Dale Graham, the stories she heard mirrored hers. “Meeting this many mothers who have lost their sons to police brutality is just senseless,” she said. Ms. Cain sees no change coming despite a previous visit to the White House. “They’re telling us they’re working on ideas and solutions on how they can help us. This is my second time going–there has not been a change—there has not been a difference in the police departments anywhere,” she said. 
After the Mother’s procession reached the Department of Justice, Ms. Hamilton gave the mother’s demands to Kevin Lewis, Department of Justice Press Secretary, to deliver to Attorney General Loretta Lynch on behalf of the Mothers. She read each demand as Lewis looked on quietly.
Finally she told him, “We can’t afford to bury any more of our kids.” She gave him her business card with a list of the Mothers who had come with her. “I will be back here every year to make sure that these police officers that are taking human life go to jail,” she said.
Click here for full video of the #MillionMomsMarch.
