Mothers who have lost children to gun violence and other violent acts came together in Jacksonville on Saturday for a day centered on healing, remembrance and support.
The sixth annual “Angel of Mine” brunch, hosted by the Silent Women Speaking Foundation, brought together grieving mothers from across the country to share their stories, honor their children and remind one another they are not alone.
Among those in attendance was Taunya Irish, who traveled from Maryland just four months after losing her son.
“My son lived in Charles County and he was going through a mental crisis, and law-enforcement approached him and they were trying to serve him a protection order,” she said. “And when they approached him, he was going through a mental stage at that point. We didn’t know he had a weapon, but he pulled out a machete. And once he pulled out the machete, law enforcement shot him 11 times with the first bullet hitting him, killing him.”
Irish said attending the event surrounded by mothers who understand her pain has been an important part of her healing.
“We need these kind of functions, we need these kind of organizations to help us be able to come together as one and be able to share our story to share our cries, laughter, but that’s sisterhood,” said Irish.
The event’s keynote speaker was Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin.
Fulton spoke about the realities of grief and the importance of giving yourself grace while navigating the loss of a child.
“Time heals all wounds,” Fulton said. “Not when you lose a child, not when you lose a child, it takes time, and you have to have grace for yourself. But, the main thing that I push is self-care and making sure that you’re taking care of yourself because as moms, we’re nurturers, and we feel like we gotta take care of everybody else and we leave ourselves out.”
Fulton also reflected on the legacy she hopes her son continues to leave behind.
“My son’s legacy is just to know, basically, that our children matter,” she said. “A lot of times people think that because of the color of their skin, that they don’t matter. Our children matter just as much as anybody else child. And so, I just want to say to all of those moms whose children are in jail, whose children are disabled, whose children are deceased: just keep your head up and know that God is working through you and you got to continue to do the work.”