Free Black Mamas DMV

“The only weapon we have is our bodies and we need to tuck them in places so wheels don’t turn.” -Bayard Rustin

Campaign Ended

Organized by Harriet's Wildest Dreams, Inc

$89,796

1.2k Supporters

112% of $80,000 goal

Samantha Master

Fundraiser since May 2023

Share Samantha Master's Page

$1,800

15 supporters

36% of $5,000 goal

Samantha Master's Story

Jump in losers, we freein' Black mamas! Six years ago, three Black femmes brought #FreeBlackMamas to the DMV. Today, we've bailed out over 100 people and have helped change the landscape of cash bail in Maryland. Now more than ever, Black mamas are being held at increasingly high bails and often no-bail (aka no-bond) status. Your donation helps bail out mamas and provide wrap around services like rent and transportation services that mamas desperately need when they come home. Whether it's $200 or $2, every dollar helps. Share widely! We gettin' Black mamas free!

Team Members

NeeNee

$4,390.66

49 Supporters

Frankie

$2,990

44 Supporters

SURJ DC

$4,015

32 Supporters

DiDi

$2,270

35 Supporters

Makia

$1,085

29 Supporters

Samantha

$1,800

15 Supporters

Mikki

$1,090

18 Supporters

Jenna

$425

11 Supporters

Sarah

$750

5 Supporters

Katherine

$232.65

5 Supporters

Pchas

$195

3 Supporters

Cat

$85

4 Supporters

Story

Campaign Ended

$89,796

1.2k Supporters

112% of $80,000 goal

Campaign Update

almost 2 years ago

Your Donation Kept A Black Mama Free ❤️

Six hundred and sixty seven dollars is all that stood between Candy*—a single mother of five—and a six-month long jail stint that would jeopardize her place in a housing voucher program for survivors of domestic abuse and thrust her children into the foster care system.

The several hundred dollars she owed was the result of two missed restitution payments—payments often made as reparation to the court for harm caused to a person or property after a person has plead or been found guilty.

The missed payments are considered a violation of probation, and if she did not come to court with money-in-hand, she could—and likely, would—be re-arrested.

A single mother living on public assistance after a violent relationship with her children’s father left her body and economic stability badly bruised, Candy had no disposable income. When asked how she had been making restitution payments before being connected with #FreeBlackMamasDMV, she replied, “I know I’m not supposed to do it, but I’ve been selling my [food] stamps.”

Restitution is another side of financial strangulation courts impose on working-broke families without regard for their ability to pay, then threaten them with jail time if they fail to comply. It’s a system that sets poor and working-class families up to fail then brutally punishes them when they do.

Like bail, restitution is only a barrier for those who are already struggling financially. It leaves impossible choices for a family like Candy’s: take food out of her kids’ mouths or risk being taken away from her kids altogether.