Mothers Of Hadiya Pendleton And Sandra Bland Will Headline The DNC Tuesday

By Gwendolyn Purdom in News on Jul 26, 2016 9:29PM

Seven black women who've lost their children to high-profile gun violence or at the hands of law enforcement—including Chicago area mothers Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, mother of Hadiya Pendleton, and Sandra Bland's mother Geneva Reed-Veal—will take the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia Tuesday night to speak out against the kinds of tragedies they've endured in a keynote speech pledging their support for Hillary Clinton.

Known as the "Mothers of the Movement," the group, which also includes the mothers of victims such as Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, has banded together in recent months to share their stories and push for change. In November of 2015, Clinton privately flew several of the women to a Near West Side cafe for a chance to meet and discuss community needs and solutions, the New York Times reported, and in the months since the group has campaigned for Clinton in videos and at events across the country. Clinton has been vocal about the need to address issues of gun violence and racially-charged police brutality throughout her campaign. On Tuesday night, she's set to premiere a new campaign ad featuring the 'Mothers.' On a campaign stop in Springfield a few weeks ago, she cited Bland's death, as well as the killing of Laquan McDonald in her speech.

“Despite our best efforts and highest hopes, America’s long struggle with race is far from finished," Clinton told the Springfield crowd.

It's a priority that hasn't gone unnoticed in the African American community—especially among voters.

Cowley-Pendleton, whose 15-year-old daughter Hadiya was gunned down on the South Side in 2013 just weeks after she'd performed at President Barack Obama's second inauguration, has been a visible supporter of gun violence reforms in the years since her daughter's death, whether it's starting an anti-gun-violence foundation in Hadiya's memory, introducing gun-trafficking bills with Illinois senators or attending Obama's 2013 State of the Union address. Reed-Veal, Sandra Bland's mother, has also made appearances at events like the vigil held in memory of her daughter in the Loop earlier this month.

Bill Clinton will also give a keynote speech Tuesday, but he'll have a hard time competing with the emotional punch these women's appearance is sure to pack.