Press release from Southerners On New Ground:
For Mother’s Day, members and supporters of Southerners On New Ground (SONG) will pay the bail of Black mothers currently being held in Buncombe County Detention Center. We intend to bail out as many Black mothers as we can and reunite them with their loved ones–women who would otherwise be in a cell on Mother’s Day because of their inability to afford and pay bail. In Asheville, a coalition is raising at least $5,000 to bail out Black women on Wednesday, May 8th at 2pm EST at 20 Davidson Dr. Asheville, NC 28801.
This action is tied to SONG’s campaign to end money bail and pre-trial detention across the South. Community members have identified money bail as a tool to keep our families separated from their loved ones and inevitably push them further into the criminal legal system. As bondage has evolved throughout history, Black communities have not stopped collectively buying each other’s freedom. To confront mass incarceration, we must address that money bail is keeping Black, poor, transgender and immigrant people in cages whether found guilty or not. An average of 700,000 people sit in cells everyday because they cannot afford to pay the bail placed on them. Pre-trial detention has continued to cause devastating impacts on families and communities.
We are inviting all members of the community to join us at 2pm May 8th, outside of Buncombe County Detention Center to welcome home Black mothers, transgender and gender non-conforming caregivers for Mother’s Day this year. We will continue to envision a world where people can have dignity and safety without cages. Until then, we will free ourselves as a way to embody our vision of the world we’re trying to create right now.
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