To the mothers who are grieving, and to those grieving mothers…

This is a special message to the mothers who are grieving, and to those grieving mothers, from your National Communications Director, BriTanya Brown.

Dear Families for Safe Streets Community, 

Traffic violence has created a deep void that nothing could ever truly fill for so many of us.

Before I was a mother, I was a caregiver. I was an “other mother” to many children in my community. On March 15, 2017, a drunk driver t-boned me while I was caring for a child with special needs. He was non-verbal and sustained injuries, though at the time we did not fully know the extent of them. Because he was on the Autism spectrum, the medical interventions and trauma were especially difficult for him to process.

I suffered a traumatic brain injury. In my final semester of college, I struggled to speak clearly. I endured nearly two years of neurological and speech therapy to regain my motor and cognitive abilities.

After that crash, I vowed never to get into a vehicle again. The world simply did not feel safe anymore. Not for me. Not for the children I loved. Not for the children I would one day have myself.

Two years later, I became a mother to twins. For years, I rarely drove anywhere unless I absolutely had to, and even then only short distances. Fear lived in my body. The world still did not feel safe.

It was not until I came to Families for Safe Streets that I found myself surrounded by mothers who transformed unimaginable pain into purpose. Mothers who carried grief in one hand and advocacy in the other. Mothers who refused to allow their loved ones to become statistics. Mothers who taught me that love can become movement.

There is a solemn power in what it means to be a mother.

A word from Amy Cohen, mother of Sammy Cohen Eckstein and Founder of Families for Safe Streets

Mother means so much more than biology. It captures the unbreakable bond, the unconditional love, the endless care between any mother figure and a child. It is constant support, memorable teachings, selfless sacrifices, and a love that shapes us no matter how old we become.

And today, we honor that.

As a daughter who lost her own mother to gun violence, I know there are some absences that never stop aching. Losing a mother is one of the deepest sorrows a heart can know. We long for their voice, their comfort, their wisdom, their presence. But a mother’s love does not disappear. Her goodness, her care, and the lessons she poured into us become a living legacy.

To those holding their child in their hearts instead of their arms, we see you, Mama.

The movement for safe streets is being led by a powerful collective of mothers. We honor them as Moms for Safe Streets. We see them fully in their grief, their grit, and their grace.

To those grieving the loss of a mother today, we see you too, sons and daughters. Hold fast in knowing that a mother’s love never leaves her children. May that love surround you today and bring you comfort.

As your National Communications & Digital Organizing Director, I am celebrating a year in this role. I wanted to do something special to acknowledge the spirit of Mother with dignity and honor, so I have been working on this special Mother’s Day project.

It was truly a labor of love.

On behalf of Amy, Aly and the FSS National Team, we hope everyone who participated, and those who were not able to this time, know that you are in our hearts today.

For all of you, thank you. Thank you for the work you are doing to build a safe world on behalf of our mothers, our sons, our daughters, and generations to come.

Please take a moment of silence to view the full slideshow and hold space for the beautiful lives and legacies represented within it. Click here to view the slideshow with music.

As a mother of 7-year-old twins, I hold them a little tighter today. I think about the future all children deserve, a future where families can travel safely, where no parent has to receive that phone call, where no child grows up carrying the unbearable weight of preventable loss.

Until then, we will continue this work together.

With Love, Remembrance, and Solidarity,

BriTanya Brown

Mother & Crash Survivor in Texas

britanya@familiesforsafestreets.org