Happy Mothers Day! – What Do Mothers Really Want?

“All I want for Mother’s Day is that revolutionary, anarchist-feminism.”

 

Despite the commercialized version of flowers, cards and brunches celebrated today, Mother’s Day has deeply political roots. Abolitionist and feminist Julia Ward Howe wrote the original “Mother’s Day Proclamation” in 1870 calling for the eradication of war and later campaigned for recognition of a “Mother’s Day for Peace” in 1907 – several years before President Woodrow Wilson declared it an official holiday in 1914.

“…Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or of tears! Say firmly: “We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says, “Disarm, disarm! The sword is not the balance of justice.” Blood does not wipe out dishonor nor violence indicate possession…”

In the spirit of the original, deeply political meaning of Mother’s Day we at Black Rose/Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation, offer this meme series “What do mothers really want for Mother’s Day?” Feel free to share this post or the individual memes and let’s imagine that a new world – without patriarchy, war, capitalism, and white supremacy – is not only possible, but we are fighting to build it right now.

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is a world without presidents, prisons or police”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is to dismantle white supremacy”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is housing for all, not for profit”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is to build power from below, not from above”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is to seize the means of production”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is queer liberation”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is socialized healthcare”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is to disarm, defund and disband the police”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is free education for all, not for profit.”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is a world where workers control their workplaces”

 

“All I want for Mother’s Day is a world where we live sustainably with the planet”