Mothers Reclaiming Our Children (MROC) is a grassroots organization founded by Barbara Meredith and Francie Arbol in 1992. The MROC project took off in defense of Barbara Meredith’s son, an ex gangster of the 1992 LA gang truce who had been arrested on false charges. Due to the state locking women sons into prison for exaggerated offenses, Meredith and Arbol along with other mothers whose sons had been subject to this crisis, spearheaded the MROC movement. The movement circulated throughout Los Angeles in hopes to reclaim the freedom of their wrongfully accused children.
MROC gained attention and support in various public spaces such as courthouses, churches, and prisons by handing out flyers, giving talks, and building their national presence on radio and television shows. Such initiatives helped to establish their presence throughout the nation and make their mission known: “to be seen, heard, and felt in the interest of justice.” In order for MROC to educate the community on their mission, weekly meetings were held consisting of women and men who helped to spread the word about MROC by inviting family and friends to the meetings.
With the implementation of new laws by the state to drive mass incarceration, momentum for MROC picked up, and people of all races from various parts of southern California such as Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside attended meetings for MROC.
The collective action of all who took part in MROC helped to make a positive impact while transcending the nation. MROC created the blueprint needed in order to build a progressive movement and they have inspired many other movements across the United States!
Mothers Reclaiming Our Children 