Mother’s Should Be Celebrated on Mother’s Day, No Matter Where They Live

“I know it’s hard and it TRULY seems like there is no light at the end . I know the depression and the sad looks on your kids faces when they hear kids yelling daddy sinks your heart but one thing for sure two things for certain if you keep pushing it gets easier - don’t give up those little eyes are watching.” This Mother’s Day, while many moms will enjoy the benefits of being celebrated and catered to by their children and significant other, there are a few for whom this day is bittersweet. Rather it be because of their own incarceration or their spouse or significant other being imprisoned, there are many families that will be separated this holiday.

We spoke with Shar ‘Janique Carter, a mother of three who has been raising her children as a single-mom since December 22, 2017, when her significant other was incarcerated. For moms like Shar ‘ Janique, having an incarcerated spouse can be challenging and emotionally draining. Not only does she have to deal with her own emotions but she has to help her kids sift through their emotions dealing with the absence of their father. Despite everything, she remains committed to keeping her family together.

“I always feel guilty for them not having both of their parents with them so I always feel like I have to work twice as hard / or do twice as much just so I don’t miss anything and they feel like they’re missing anything. It is very important for me to make sure they keep in contact because when he was home he was a great father flaws and all and at the time I was pregnant and had the two girls and they all had such great bonds . They all adore one another. I couldn’t see myself doing anything less than making every effort for them to see him because just like I adore them so does he . We’re a family no matter what!’

But what about those mothers on the opposite side of the law who will be spending Mother’s Day behind bars. From East St. Louis to Palm Beach, organizations and prison reform groups are bailing mothers out who have been imprisoned and unable to afford bail. Dylan Gibbons of the Hamilton County Community Bail Fund in Chattanooga states, “The reality is that liberty is not often available to all, but those who can afford to pay their way out.” With low-income and black women making up a large percentage of imprisoned women unable to make bail, organizations like Black Mama’s Bail Out help women post bail, find housing, and

Recently, Flikshop partnered with Boeing to help ease a bit of the burden for families during this Mother’s Day season. The aircraft company made a $250,000 investment to provide credits to families around the country so that they can send postcards to their incarcerated loved ones. This initiative will provide free Mother’s Day Flikshop credits for children and mothers during a time when they need them the most. The push to reunite mothers with their families is important, and Flikshop CEO Marcus Bullock wanted to ensure that the company shows families how important this is to the team. Liz Swavola, a program manager at the Vera Institute of Justice, reports that the female population continues to grow despite the downward trend in the male population.

Mothers are essential to their families and mother’s like Tiara Moore continued to show it by parenting from behind bars, along with the support of her mother. Since being bailed out herself, Tiara has committed herself to helping other mothers in similar situations. “I’m just using what happened to me to help other people in the same situation,”