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Dear friend,
Incarcerated Black mothers may never get to see their families again because of COVID-19. And many of these people are locked up simply because they can't afford to pay bail. The longer they sit behind bars the longer their lives are unnecessarily being put at risk. Jails are Petri dishes for deadly viruses like coronavirus. People locked in these jails are subject to overcrowding, poor sanitation, no access to sinks to wash their hands or hand sanitizer, and social-distancing is impossible. No Black mother should lose her life to COVID-19 because she can't afford to pay bail. Public health officials have repeatedly warned that the only way to flatten the curve and to save countless lives is to do everything we can to decrease jail population sizes immediately. It is critical not only for the safety of those individuals, but for their families, their communities, and the staff at the jails who also face the increased and unnecessary risk of exposure to COVID-19.
That's why the National Bail Out Collective is bailing out Black mamas and caregivers from cages.1 We must act with urgency to get as many Black moms free before it's too late.
National Black Mama’s Bail Out Day is a coordinated effort by community organizations and advocates alike to reunite Black mothers with their families on Mother's Day. But this year we’re shifting our strategy to meet the needs of people during the COVID-19 crises. Every donation will go to ensuring we can bail out as many Black moms and caregivers from cages as possible while offering safe housing options, a weeks' worth of groceries, and holistic supportive services to every person we help free. Black mamas' lives are at risk as they sit behind bars. And they are more likely than any other group to be fighting COVID-19 from within a cage because of pre-trial detention. Black women are more likely to be separated from their families pre-trial because they cannot afford the cost of bail. Of the 231,000 women incarcerated in this country, most are women of color, and 80% are mothers or primary caretakers of their children.2
And Black women are particularly vulnerable. The COVID-19 outbreak is exacerbating a pre-existing healthcare crisis in this country that has always carelessly or intentionally excluded Black women. Health conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure, and cancer affect Black women at disproportionate rates. And trans, pregnant, and drug-using people are at a heightened risk for either getting COVID-19 or experiencing greater complications if they contract the virus.3,4 But in the midst of a global crisis, society's response is to continue criminalizing and punishing our people under the guise of public health.
When a Black mama is free our communities thrive. She is free to rejoin her friends, family, and community, she is free from the detrimental impact incarceration. She can be physically present to protect her children, provide on a daily basis, and be a source of comfort during this time of uncertainty. Now more than ever should be the time we push towards a future where all of our people are free. We're fighting to make sure no Black mother is separated from her family during this unprecedented health crisis. We deserve to be treated with dignity and to have access to the care we need during this unprecedented public health crisis.
Until justice is real,
Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Madison, Leonard, and the rest of the Color of Change team .
Sources :
1. The National Bail Out Collective is a Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers, and activists building a community-based movement to support our folks and end mass incarceration. Learn more, join their mailing list, and get involved at nationalbailout.org
2. "Women's Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018." Prison Policy Initiative.
3. "The Coronavirus Guide." National Center for Transgender Equality.
4. "Pregnant and worried about the new coronavirus?" Harvard Health Publishing.
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.
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