Analysis

Mother Reclaim Our Children  played a crucial role in the uplift of the Los Angeles community. One of the biggest successes of MROC was reconstructing the narrative of incarcerated black men. Pain incurred by women was and is deemed a private matter; however, the women of MROC turned this narrative on its head when they began protesting publicly. There was very little sympathy for these mothers who had raised what the public deemed to be criminals. The incarceration of these men was, in the mainstream’s view, meant to be mourned in private, and women had “learned to be quiet about their grief in public arenas, such as their place of employment” (Afary 149).

However, their action against the injustices that their sons were facing threw MROC into the public sphere, in televised courtrooms and interviews with news outlets. On top of having regular jobs, mothers would leave early in the morning to go to court with new clothes, so these men were not adorned in orange jumpsuits and chains (Afary163). These mothers also put on proper attire so as to “reaffirm the humanity” (Afary 162) of the defendants and the family. It was their way of showing that these men came from “respectable families” (Afary 163).

Not only did these women change the perception of these men, they reshaped the perception of the LA Riots. No longer was it a product of criminals running rampant, but rather this was a justified response to the brutality and oppression that the Los Angeles community faced at the hands of the LAPD. Between this and the outreach, mentorship, and court watching, MROC was a formidable force.

This grassroots organization was fronted by the women of the community. MROC was both a restructuring and elevation of the maternal role that these black and brown women traditionally held. Reminiscent of Amy Jacques-Garvey’s community feminism, the women of MROC dedicated their time and energy into uplifting the black men who had been the victims of injustice, performing the role of motherhood to the entire community.