Moms United for Black Lives
Moms United for Black Lives (also known as Moms United, or MU4BL) is an activist group based in Portland, Oregon, with branches in other U.S. cities, including New York and San Diego. The group was a fixture at the George Floyd protests in Portland; they wore yellow shirts, helmets, goggles, and gas masks, and they lead hundreds of people in chants as they marched to the federal courthouse.[1][2]
Abbreviation | MU4BL |
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Nickname | Moms United |
Location |
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Moms United was founded and is led by a collective of Black women, including Don't Shoot Portland’s founder Teressa Raiford and activists Demetria Hester and Danialle James. The group was created after controversy erupted in Portland's Wall of Moms protest group, where the leader was accused of being anti-Black. Thousands of women left Wall of Moms to join Moms United for Black Lives.[3][4][5]
“We want reparations written into law. We want people to understand that Black lives do matter. We want Teressa Raiford as mayor. And we want to defund the police.” explained MU4BL founder Demetria Hester.[3] The MU4BL network aims to provide support, aid, and assistance to communities around the U.S. The key focus of Moms United for Black Lives is to address the problems of Portland's Black communities and “listen to Black women," according to Teressa Raiford.[3][4]
See also
- 2020 Portland, Oregon mayoral election
- Anti-racism
- Black Lives Matter – Social movement originating in the US
- George Floyd protests in Portland
- Misogynoir – Term for misogyny toward black women
- Wall of Moms
References
- Caldwell, Alicia A. (August 2, 2020). "With No Federal Agents on Streets, Portland Protests Turn Largely Peaceful". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- Sanchez, Chelsey (August 14, 2020). "The Wall of Moms Got Your Attention, but Mothers Have Always Been Fighting for Change". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- Pedroja, Cammy (August 12, 2020). "The Black Moms at the Heart of the Portland Protests". Refinery29. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- Cineas, Fabiola (August 4, 2020). "How Portland's Wall of Moms collapsed — and was reborn under Black leadership". Vox. Vox Media. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- Holcombe, Madeline (September 8, 2020). "Wall of Moms may have imploded but Black-led groups are picking up where it left off in Portland". CNN. Retrieved April 28, 2021.