Why I Have Not Endorsed Any Candidate

[Stellar]

Reflections from a Mom of the Movement

Over the past few weeks, I had been approached by many people all with the same question: Who will I endorse for President of the United States? I have heard this even more since the launch of the Justice For Tamir Speak Out Tour.

I have watched as my fellow mothers that have lost children have chosen a candidate to invest their faith in, and I support them in their pursuits of justice for their children, and the people want to know where I stand.

For over a year, I have been fighting for justice for my son, Tamir, who was killed by Cleveland police officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback. For over a year, I’ve waited to see if any candidate or official, including my state’s governor, would release a plan of action that addressed the failures and inhumane decisions responsible for my son’s death. While I’ve waited, I’ve been speaking out for true action, with changes that would help prevent another tragedy like Tamir’s murder — changes that truly hold these police accountable and give people power in the communities we live in.

As a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, my local and state governments have not only failed my family, they’ve caused us severe trauma. After shooting Tamir, Cleveland police neglected to call aid for my son and handcuffed my daughter, who was trying help her brother. Then the city of Cleveland later tried to charge me for the ambulance ride that was too late to save my son’s life. They said it was a mistake, and no one was held responsible for any of pain they caused my family.

“The loss of Tamir has made it clear to me that Cleveland is deeply invested in a system of injustice.”

After Tamir’s death, the county prosecutor, Timothy McGinty, an elected official, responsible for seeking justice for Tamir, instead blamed my 12-year-old boy for his own death. All of this happened under the administration of Ohio governor, John Kasich, a 2016 presidential nominee.

More: HuffPo