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Mothers have changed
Have you seen that commercial, the one for the new high-tech minivan? Breaking from tradition, this minivan has it all--style and substance everything modern mothers on the go need. At the end of the commercial it proclaims boldly that, "Mothers have changed."
Even if you haven't seen the commercial, you've probably noticed that, like the commercial says, mothers have indeed changed--and not just in their taste in cars.
Make no mistake. The love and compassion--as hard to describe as it is to comprehend--that make up the soul of a mother is still there. That will never change. It's the kind of love that is able to raise a doctor, a world-class athlete, or an "A" student in an environment deemed by society as dysfunctional, broken, and underprivileged. It's the kind of love that could make you happy on Christmas Day even though you got only one toy. |
It's the kind of love that could turn a week's worth of leftovers into gourmet meals. It's the kind of love that could heat the house in the winter without help from the gas company. It's the kind of love that could instill an unshakeable confidence in who you are and what you could achieve.
But what is uniquely different about today's mother is the uncharted territory that she has taken her unrelenting devotion.
Take New Jersey mother Donna Dees-Thomases, Five years ago, news reports of a gunman's random shooting spree at a day-care center in California haunted her so much that it moved her to take unprecedented action. Her action turned into a plan, her plan into a movement. The result? A Mother's Day march on Washington in which some 750,000 mothers of all races and social classes, and another 200,000 mothers protesting in other cities across the country, made it loud and clear that they were tired of sitting idly by as their children fall victim to gun violence.
Together, these mothers started what has become known as the "Million Morn March," and in the process accomplished what so many generations of mothers have done--stepped up their game for their children's sake. As the grassroots organization plans for its next march on Washington this Mother's Day, it has become clear to all that a mother's love for her children has been taken to a new level--a level that encourages mobilization and activism. "There are war casualties all around us," one morn said. "We need to stand up and say we've had enough. America's mothers have had enough. We are calling a time-out in the war against the next generation--our children."
Sick and tired of waiting on men to solve the social ills that affect society, mothers in 2004 are not only marching, but also running for public office and pressuring lawmakers like never before. From mothers in such lauded positions as Children's Defense Fund head Marian Wright Edelman and the ACLU's Laura Murphy to the increasing number of mothers heading their local school boards and PTAs, more and more mothers are speaking up more, taking charge more and making history more.
So this Mother's Day, we all should take time to honor modern-day Black mothers for not only continuing to be the matriarchs of civilization, but also the trailblazers. Having risen from so much pain, they continue to have a sense of pride and dignity that is unmatched by any other women of any other race. Having graced the world with their wisdom and natural beauty since the beginning of time, these mothers continue to amaze the world, as they show that the love that they have for their children is ever-evolving, and perhaps the strongest bond we know.
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