JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mother’s Day is typically a time for celebration, but for some moms, Sunday marks another year to mourn a child lost to gun violence.
The Silent Woman Speaking Foundation is holding its second annual brunch for moms who have lost children to violence. The founder wants this to become a nationwide event to help prevent other moms from experiencing the same heartbreak.
“When I did my research, I didn’t find any organizations out here that was setting up for these moms to actually come, to be able to grieve, be able to ask questions, be able to learn how to adapt, learning how to push through that adversity,” founder Haraka Carswell said.
Carswell said her goal is to bring love, awareness and education to mothers who have lived through tragedies so they don’t have to be in a dark place.
Melissa Jackson is one of the speakers at this year’s Mother’s Day Brunch. Her son, Corbin Jackson, was found dead in a wooded area in 2019. His death was ruled a murder and became the focus of a Tik Tok trend that led to a lot of people seeking out information on the case.
Jackson said Silent Women Speaking gives her a way to connect with mothers like her, who are experiencing the same pain.
“It’s so many of us that are going through so much and so much pain and just to have another ear that understands exactly how I feel,” Jackson said. “Because if you’re a mother that’s never lost a child you don’t know how it is to wake up in the middle of the night and hurt for them and want to hear their voices and so just to have a mother that understands that call. We know we have we’re sitting here we call each other when we need each other. We need that shoulder to cry on that understands.”
Carswell’s goal is to help those women adapt during the healing process so they won’t remain emotionally stagnant.
The Mother’s Day Brunch is Saturday and is invite-only, but anyone who has lost a child to violence can reach out to Carswell to participate.
For more information about Silent Women Speaking Foundation, you can email the organization at swsfoundation2022@gmail.com or call at 904-440-9178.