Black Mothers Rising To Host Vigil In Montgomery Sunday

MONTGOMERY, NJ — Montgomery Black mother Nakeisha Holmes-Ammons, who started the Black Mothers Rising organization, will hold a second vigil on Sunday to put an end to racial injustice.

"This is just the beginning," said Holmes-Ammons. "In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police, and in honor of so many other Black lives lost to police brutality, Black mothers are coming together to say no more. We are directly engaging our local law enforcement agencies, our politicians, our entire communities!"

The vigil will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Otto Kaufman Community Center, 356 Skillman Road, in Skillman.

The Montgomery vigil will follow the same format as the first vigil that occurred on June 7 with the Princeton Police Department. The vigil featured a moment of silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds, group meditation, first-person accounts from the Princeton community about fear of law enforcement and over policing, and a dialogue and Q&A with the police. Read More: Black Mothers, Princeton Police Pray For Racial Equality

Since the first vigil, Holmes-Ammons has connected with numerous Black mothers and allies working together on the redistribution of public safety budgets for social services, education, and the arts.

Supporters of the Sunday vigil are encouraged to center Black mothers, bring a chair or yoga mat, wear masks, and maintain social distance.

For more information contact Holmes-Ammons at blackmothersrising@gmail.com or facebook.com/BlackMothersRising.

The vigil follows nationwide protests sparked after Floyd, 46, died after then Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Video, which captured Floyd saying "I can't breathe," went viral, and sparked the nationwide protests. Read More: All 4 Minneapolis Officers Charged As Protests Continue

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