TrayvonMartin's Mom Is Helping Grieving Moms Heal

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JOIN THE CAMPAIGN: HELP MOTHERS HEAL FROM THE GRIEF OF GUN VIOLENCE

As of December of 2018, 644 children and 2,729 teens have been killed by gun violence in the US this year. If you feel  pain at the loss of so many young lives full of promise, imagine the devastating grief experienced by the mothers they’ve left behind.

Sybrina Fulton knows in the deepest way this grief that comes in the wake of gun violence and the loss of a child. But, after the deadly 2012 shooting of her beloved son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, she felt compelled to rise up.

CIRCLE OF MOTHERS 

On May 16, 2014, Sybrina embarked on a powerful call to action to support and invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our communities. The Circle of Mothers, an annual retreat for women who have lost a child to senseless gun violence, was born.

Sixty mothers from all over the United States attended. Sybrina chose Mother’s Day weekend on purpose. “Other than the anniversary of your child being killed, Mother’s Day is one of the hardest days,” Sybrina says.

Through her advocacy work—for gun law reform and racial equity—Fulton has met many other moms whose personal tragedies also became national news, including the mothers of Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Hadiya Pendleton, Dontre Hamilton, and Oscar Grant, all of whom have all been to the Circle of Mothers. Fulton also invites moms whose children’s names haven’t made the headlines. Their cases may not be as “high profile” but their pain is the same.

“Despite our differences,” Sybrina says, “all mothers are united in our love for our children and our hope for their safety.”

YOUR PLEDGE:

It costs $1,500 to sponsor a mother to attend. Activist Michael Skolnik and I have pledged the first $3,000 to this campaign, $1,500 each to help the first 2 of 10 mothers be able to participate in Circle of Mothers.

I pray that one day we won’t need The Circle of Mothers, because we’ve brought an end to gun violence in the US and no more mothers will have to grieve the theft of their children’s lives.  

Until then, I hope you’ll open your hearts and minds to Sybrina’s story, lift up grieving mothers who seek healing, and invest in them to lead the way forward.

To learn more about Sybrina’s story, how the Circle of Mothers came to her in a dream, and why it matters, listen to our conversation here:
http://mothersquest.com/EP55-SybrinaFulton/

Article in Elle Magazine: https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a20663587/sybrina-fulton-trayvon-martin-circle-of-mothers-gun-violence/

US Gun Violence Statistics: https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/

Circle of Mothers Website: https://www.circleofmothers.org/

This campaign is part of the Women Podcasters in Solidarity  Initiative, a partnership led by Julie Neale of Mother's Quest,  Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman, and Elsie Escobar of She Podcasts.