Jeralynn Blueford, Wanda Johnson (mother of Oscar Grant) and eight other mothers of black men killed by police violence traveled to Washington DC last week to give testimony before members of Congress, the Department of Justice, and White House staffers. They also conduted numerous interviews with members of the press.
As reported by the Washington Post
The hearing room on Capitol Hill was already decorated for the nine women when they arrived Wednesday morning: nine easels displaying paper hearts, containing pictures of black men and the dates and years of their deaths: 2013, 2012, 2008, 2004.
…
It was the second day of a three-day visit organized by the activist group Code Pink, which had arranged for the mothers to be in Washington and talk about police violence against black men and boys. They would do this Capitol Hill briefing, attended by several members of Congress, then travel to a meeting at the Department of Justice, and later there would be a vigil.
According to News Mic, at the hearing Jeralynn Blueford
…whose son Alan Blueford was killed by an Oakland police officer who didn’t have his lapel camera on, proposed lengthy prison time for any officer who turns off a body cam in the field.
“If they turn off that camera, I demand that they go to jail and serve 25 to life,” she said. “People are tired. They’re sick and tired of the genocide of our young men.”
Listen to Jeralynn speaking at the hearing before members of Congress.
JERALYNN BLUFORD from Oakland, California started the Justice4AlanBlueford Coalition on May 6,2012 after her 18 year-old son Alan Blueford was shot and killed by a police officer in East Oakland. From there The Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice was established in Oakland, California, as a place to help heal the community. They offer our resources to help restore the community as they struggle against police brutality. She also organized Helping Heart 2 Heal, a conference to inspire, empower, and restore healing for mothers that are suffering with the pain of losing their children and loved ones.
Miguel Masso, Alan’s killer, like Darren Wilson, Daniel Pantaleo and hundreds of other officers, was never brought to face justice.
If we don’t change we won’t grow! #alanmatters#blacklivesmatter#alllivesmater pic.twitter.com/rsyLlNtCjH
— jeralynn (@mommablueford) December 16, 2014
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