Black mamas need love too, whether in front of or behind iron bars. So in 2017, Southerners on the New Ground, SONG, and its partners decided to bail eligible Black mothers out of jail just in time for Mother’s Day.
National Mama’s Bail Out Day reached cities like Oakland, Memphis, and Atlanta. It was definitely needed and remains ongoing.
Black women represent 30% of women in prisons and 44% of women in jails, but only 13% of U.S. women overall. According to the ACLU, women are the “fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population.” Two-thirds of incarcerated women are also mothers to a minor.
“When our Black mamas are locked in cages, our families and communities suffer,” wrote SONG. “Until we abolish bail and mass incarceration, we have to free ourselves.”
The cash bail system is just one example of inequality embedded in the criminal legal system. It’s meant to make our community members disappear without defense or support.
But when loved ones are absent, Black communities have always stepped in to pick up the pieces - from grandmothers and aunties to neighbors and friends. And that’s what we will continue to do amidst a system that’s working against us.
If you want to join the movement to free Black mamas, visit http://www.nationalbailout.org/.