*Hillary Clinton has received numerous endorsements over the course of her campaign for the Democratic nomination for president.
With that, comes the support of another prominent person in the form of Lezley McSpadden, the mother of Michael ‘Mike’ Brown.
On Tuesday (Mar. 15), The Huffington Post obtained a letter McSpadden wrote to the Clinton campaign that detailed why she is voting for Clinton, should she obtain the Democratic nomination.
In the letter, McSpadden cited her belief that Clinton has “realistic proposals” that will address the country’s most pressing challenges. In her eyes, Clinton is the candidate best-suited to work across party lines to get legislation passed on various issues, including education, voting rights, gun violence and criminal justice reform.
“Since August 9, 2014, I have wondered where do we go from here? I have made it this far by my faith, but we need more than faith,” McSpadden wrote in her letter to the Clinton campaign. “Our criminal justice system is broken and damaged, and it left broken hearts and damage in our communities. Fixing this will require time and commitment of someone who wants to make things better for us all. I want a leader who is willing to take the steps to reform a justice system that dehumanized my son. I want a leader who will now honor my son’s life and fights for our children’s futures. I want a justice system that is fundamentally based on fairness for everyone.”
READ RELATED STORY: Speaking on Darren Wilson, Lezley McSpadden Calls Him ‘The Devil’
READ RELATED STORY: Attorneys For Michael Brown Criticize Prosecutor and Grand Jury Process
McSpadden’s comments highlight her consistency as an activist in speaking out about gun violence and police brutality since Brown was fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014. Brown’s death triggered outrage as well as nationwide protests beyond Ferguson. The reaction to Brown’s death reignited the issue of police violence and is credited as the impetus of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
“When I lost my son, I lost my world,” McSpadden wrote. “‘Big Mike’ was a big boy, but he was my baby boy; my only child, and his life was brutally taken from me.”
As a member of the “Mothers Of the Movement,” McSpadden is among a group of women who have supported Clinton’s presidential campaign for president, HuffPost noted. Others in the collective include the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Sandra Bland and other black men and women who have been killed by gun violence or in police custody.
“I am one of those parents whose worst nightmare came true. Parents are not supposed to bury their children, especially by murder,” McSpadden wrote. “But the reality is, that far too many black parents have; not just by senseless gunfire but by lawful gunfire. Enough is Enough.”
McSpadden’s letter comes after she and other families of victims of gun violence met with Clinton privately in Chicago to discuss important issues of race and police reform. During that meeting, which took place in November, McSpadden stated that Clinton listened to her son’s story and offered ways she could help if she were elected president. Upon hearing what Clinton had to say, McSpadden admitted that Clinton’s effort helped steer her in the solid direction of voting for Democratic presidential front-runner.
“This election season, we are at battle for the soul of our nation,” McSpadden wrote. “If we want to continue to build on the progress made by our country, we need a president who is ready to lead — and I trust Hillary Clinton.”
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