Dear John,

This week, as many are preparing to honor their mothers, caregivers, and the special people in their lives that raised and shaped us all, we ask you to spread the light even further. Consider making a donation to #FreeBlackMamas—a movement which centers parents and children impacted by over-criminalization and the vast racial disparities in police, arrests, and sentencing in the United States.

Black people are over two times more likely to be targeted and arrested for nonviolent offenses and conduct related to poverty, and are twice as likely to be caged before trial. In addition, nearly 80% of currently incarcerated women are parents.

#FreeBlackMamas is an annual campaign by the National Bail Out collective, which seeks to raise awareness about the human and financial costs of cash bail, with a focus on its impact on Black mothers and caregivers. Their vision is rooted in the history of Black liberation before the abolition of slavery, where enslaved and free ancestors used their shared resources to purchase each other's freedom. Since 2017, the National Bail Out collective has coordinated annual bail outs nationwide to free as many Black mamas and caregivers as possible so they may spend Mother’s Day with their families — where they belong.

There are currently approximately 646,000 people locked up in more than 3,000 local jails across the country. Seventy percent of which are being held pretrial. These hundreds of thousands of people, who have not been convicted of any crime and are legally presumed innocent, are locked in cages because our country has a system of cash bail, in which the constitutional principle of innocent until proven guilty only applies to those with wealth. 

To me, #FreeBlackMamas represents a form of collective power. It shows the critical importance of how we must work for the now and also for the arc of the future—to free our people whenever we can, as we continue the long march toward dismantling systems of oppression. Thank you for your consideration and ongoing commitment to this important work. 

En Solidaridad,

Marina Muñoz de Martínez

Director of Development & Partnerships, Race Forward

To learn more about cash bail and bail reform click here.