Friend,

Happy Mother’s Day!

We’ve got one quick and powerful way you can celebrate and honor mothers today.  

Can you chip in to free Black mamas and caregivers so that they can come home to their families and communities for Mother’s Day and beyond?

Now that we know the majority of Supreme Court justices intend to overturn our right to abortion, this is especially a time to honor Black mothers.  

Due to systemic racism and medical bias, Black women have more difficulty accessing quality reproductive care and other healthcare. For example, in my hometown of Detroit, pregnant Black women are 4.5 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than white women.

This is outrageous. Clearly, this country devalues and endangers Black women. Additionally, our broken and unconstitutional bail system furthers racial and economic disparities, and deepens generations of trauma.

But right now, we can make change and act in solidarity with people who are caught in this cycle.

This Mother’s Day, can you chip in $5, $25, or more to bring Black mamas home?

With solidarity and care,

Rashida

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rashida Tlaib
Date: Sat, May 7, 2022
Subject: You can free Black mamas for Mother’s Day
To: [email protected]

Friend,

The Michigan Black Mama’s Day coalition is raising funds to free Black mothers from cages so they can go home to their family for Mother’s Day and beyond.

Can you donate today?

Your contribution will be used to pay the bail, fines, and fees of Black mamas, Black women, and gender non-conforming people who were jailed solely because of the immoral and unconstitutional practice of money bail.

This system punishes people who have not been convicted of anything, forcing them to await trial in cages because they can’t afford to post bail. That’s why it’s also known as wealth-based pretrial detention.

Due to a long history of systemic racism, there’s a huge racial wealth gap, and Black people are also much more likely to be targeted for arrests. So Black people are disproportionately impacted by unjust money bail.

Here in Michigan, Michigan Liberation has done incredible work on the ground to free Black mamas, highlight the role of profiteers in the bail bonds industry, and expose the massive underlying social inequities leading to contact with the legal system.

Please donate today so Michigan Liberation Education Fund and the coalition can help Black mamas who are sitting in jail because they cannot afford bail, go home to their family and communities this Mother’s Day and beyond.

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately to Michigan Liberation Education Fund, a project of Mothering Justice:

What started as a bailout, which our campaign has helped fundraise for since 2019, has evolved into a quest for transformational change across the legal system in Michigan.

This is important, game-changing work. And it’s urgent.

When caregivers are locked in cages, entire families and communities suffer. Even a few days behind bars can result in irreparable physical, emotional, and financial harm: Parents may lose their jobs, housing, and even their children.

Please donate as generously as you can today to help free people from jail. Any amount you can spare right now will truly make a difference.

Thank you so much. With love,

Rashida