In honor of Mother’s day 2022, we are going to learn about one of the most fearless mothers that most of us don’t know about. Like too many Black mothers of sons, Beulah Mae Donald lived through the murder of her youngest boy, Michael. In 1981, a lynching took the life of the 19-year-old walking to the store to buy cigarettes for his older sister in Mobile, AL. What followed was multiple years of court cases, threats and finally, a victory that unearthed connected of some of the most brazen murders of Civil Rights activists like Viola Liuzzo, the four little girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church, the violent assaults of the Freedom Riders and more.
In this session, we are going to understand that lynching didn’t stop with the passing of the civil rights act of 1964. The Klan was alive and well and we will connect this story to current events that we should not turn a blind eye to. I will be honest, this will be a difficult session. Also, this is what Black and Brown mothers, fathers, siblings, families, and communities endure every day. I hope the LL community can manage for an afternoon and practice some self-care after so we are all better equipped to build a beloved community safe for all.
Register in advance of this session: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkceqhqzopHNx14fpxk4NsDauKSQa8A3nu
What happened to Michael Donald:
The informant:
The case:
The lessons:
Additional viewing (optional):
“Following an advance, sneak-peek screening of the new CNN Original Series, “The People v. The Klan,” a CNN panel takes a deeper look into the little-known true story of Beulah Mae Donald, a Black mother in Alabama, who took down the Ku Klux Klan after the brutal murder and lynching of her son, Michael Donald. Presented in partnership with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8JjMYDigos (~50 mins)