PHOTO/GRANNIES RESPOND/ABUELAS RESPONDEN
Editor’s note: Grannies Respond/Abuelas Responden is a movement of grandmothers and their allies spurred to action by the humanitarian crisis unfolding on the southern border. Below is their press release about a recent protest action they organized. — The editors
“I’m a member of Grannies Respond because I believe it is morally corrupt to separate children from their families,” says Rafiah Jones, a grandmother from Washington D.C. “Our legislation should uphold, not uproot, our morality.”
This is the inspiring story about a group of unlikely activists—a group of “grannies”—who are putting their bodies on the line and their lives on hold to stop the Trump Administration’s harsh treatment of migrating children and families.
We’re a group of 30 (and growing) grandparents who are heartbroken and outraged at the inhumane treatment of migrating children and families. At a time when so many are upset but don’t know what to do, we grannies are stepping forward with a powerful message of compassion for all children, regardless of nationality or immigration status.
On July 31, we’re setting out on a six-day caravan from New York City to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas in order to speak out against this injustice. Our road trip will stop at ICE Detention facilities and other key locations along the way to hold rallies, sing songs, and offer a message of compassion while demanding the reunification and release of detained kids and families. These cities include Reading, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Louisville, KY, Montgomery, AL, New Orleans, LA, and Houston, TX. We hope that people in each city will join us in the streets, and that others will be inspired to start caravans of their own to ride along with us.
“I have a responsibility to fight for the future of all those impacted, including my own children and my granddaughter,” says Tina Bernstein, a grandmother from Beacon, NY. “I’m joining this caravan because I want to connect with other people who are concerned around the country and say ‘no,’ this is not just.”
Contacts: Website: GranniesRespond.org; Facebook: /granniesrespond Twitter: @GranniesRespond; Instagram: @GranniesRespond, Email: GranniesRespond@gmail.com
