Every year I make a list of what I want for Mother’s Day. In order to make the flowers and brunch reservations less ironic I end up reflecting on progress, grief, and what mothers might need in order to celebrate our holiday — this year.
For a country whose maternal mortality rate is the highest among its peers in the world, and in a state where the predominant reason for death in the postpartum period is suicide and drug overdoes among new parents, you could say it’s not a great time to be a mom here.
So, in traditional fashion, here is my Mother’s Day wish list for 2023.
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Bail moms out. Approximately 150,000 incarcerated mothers will spend Mother’s Day behind bars. Nearly 60% of women in prison are mothers and 80% of women in jails are mothers awaiting trial. This year is the third annual Black Mama’s Day Bail Out. Between May 6 and May 12 organizers across the nation bail out as many mothers and caregivers as they can. Black Mama’s Day Bail Out brings awareness to the cruelties and predatory practices of pretrial detention and strives to make sure moms can spend Mother’s Day with their loved ones.
Get rid of the guns, obviously. This year, with a Democratic majority, the Colorado General Assembly failed moms by not passing House Bill 23-1230, a bill that would have banned assault rifles in Colorado. This perpetuates gun violence in our communities and kills our children. Join Moms Demand Action and our children —...
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