On New Years Day, 2009, BART police officer Johannes Mehserle fatally shot 22-year-old Oscar Grant. Witnesses at the Fruitvale BART station captured the shooting on cell phone video and the resulting footage made national headlines. The publicity from the shocking footage led to a nationwide conversation about police brutality.
As the number of black men and boys killed by police continues to grow, so does the number of bereaved mothers. In 2014, Oscar Grant’s mother Wanda Johnson decided to channel her pain and grief into a purpose. She took over The Oscar Grant Foundation, a community that offers support for mothers whose sons were killed by police. The organization gives them a space to share their pain, to search for justice, and to ensure that their children are not forgotten.
A film by Débora Silva.