Subscribe
Hellobeautiful Featured Video
CLOSE

There was a lot of buzz around last night’s Democratic National Convention, with high-profile names like former president Bill Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder slated for speeches.

But one of the most powerful and somber moments of the night came from a core group of nine Black women — the Mothers of the Movement.

Lucia McBath, mother of Jordan Davis; Geneva Reed-Veal, mother of Sandra Bland; Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon MartinAnnette Nance-Holt, mother of Blair HoltLezley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown; Maria Hamilton, the mother of Dontré Hamilton; Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley, the mother of Hadiya Pendleton; and Wanda Johnson, the mother of Oscar Grant stood in power on stage on behalf of their slain children. They represent mothers everywhere who have lost their children to police brutality and senseless violence.

The emotional speech comes at a key time in American history, where the relationship between Black people and law enforcement are at a breaking point. It will be key for presidential candidates who want to earn the Black vote to connect with the Black community and offer solutions to turn these strained relations into symbiotic partnerships. Thus far, Hillary Clinton is the only candidate on the ticket who has proudly proclaimed that Black Lives Matter.

And the community has noticed her passion for the fight.

“I am here for Hillary Clinton because she’s a leader and a mother who will say our children’s name,” Reed-Veal said during her speech, choking back tears. “What a blessing tonight to be standing here, so that Sandy can still speak through her Mama.”

Notably missing from the moment was Samaria Rice, the mother of Tamir Rice. Samaria recently criticized President Barack Obama for his perceived non-response to the ails of the Black community.

Samaria recently told Fusion that no candidate is “speaking my language about police reform.” She went on to say there are a lot of discussions going on, but not enough action. Despite her absence, the presence of the nine Black mothers rallying around the first female candidate to ever secure a major political party’s nomination for president was symbolically powerful.

There were some detractors from the moment who felt the tragedy and pain of these women were being used as political fanfare. But that type of judgement takes away from the agency of these women to select a candidate that they feel will best fight for justice on their behalf.

We will see in the months to come if these key endorsements are strong enough to get Clinton into the White House.

You can watch the moment below:

VIDEO CREDIT: YouTube | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

RELATED STORIES:

He’s With Her: President Barack Obama Endorses Hillary Clinton For President

Celebrities React To Michelle Obama’s Powerful DNC Speech

First Lady Michelle Obama Brings Down The House At The DNC: ‘When They Go Low, We Go High’

The grand return of the Melanin Awards amplifies and honors the finest Black-owned beauty brands with honest reviews, and discusses the evolution of beauty in Hip-Hop culture.