How You Can Support Marginalized Mothers This Mother's Day

Treating your mom for Mother's Day is a given — but have you also thought about all of the other mothers out there that also need some love? Specifically ones that have been marginalized? This Mother’s Day, you can support marginalized mothers by sending them an e-card with a message of encouragement through Forward Together — a multicultural organization that works with community leaders to drive social change.

Forward Together plans on sending out 15,000 messages of support to marginalized mothers through their “Mama’s Day” advocacy campaign. A marginalized mother could mean anyone who experiences any hostility — including single mothers, queer mothers, immigrant mothers, incarcerated mothers, and more. These 15,000 messages are sent through 28 different grass-root organizations including Black Alliance for Just Immigration, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and the Muslim Association of Puget Sound.

What makes these cards incredibly special is the crafty hands behind the designs. These artists not only create original work for the Mama’s Day campaign, but they are also marginalized themselves, and they put their hearts and souls into these designs.

Aneelah Afzali is the Executive Director of one of the organizations participating — the Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS)-American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN). Because of her own experiences of being marginalized within her communities, deciding to participate on this campaign was an easy decision.

“After our mosque was vandalized, we had an outpouring of community support and solidarity,” said Afzali. “Some local non-Muslim community residents came by on a rainy, snowy day and left handwritten notes of love and support on all the cars at our mosque while we were in our congregational prayers. Our congregation was so touched and moved. That’s why we were excited to participate in the Mamas Day campaign. For us, Mamas Day is another way to send messages of support and a powerful example of love overpowering hate.”

Through these 28 different organizations, these cards will be delivered in different spots within their communities. Love will surely be spread as these cards are handed in mosques, community centers, and much more.

So if you are looking to make a difference for marginalized communities, this is a small but powerful way that you can be encouraging mothers right from your chair. Choose an image and take action now!