In partnership with Parents for Peace and Justice, Small Forces is sharing the stories of eight mothers who lost children to gun violence in Chicagoland.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Small Forces presents Stories for Peace and Justice. The eight-episode series features eight moms from across Chicagoland sharing their messages about loss and violence.  

The concept for this project was developed alongside our partner, Parents for Peace and Justice, a Chicago-based grassroots nonprofit organization working to mitigate the city’s violence epidemic. PPJ operates primarily in the Belmont Cragin, Humboldt Park, and Hermosa neighborhoods, where residents face a deep lack of supportive services to help prevent and cope with violence and the resulting trauma. PPJ provides anti-violence and mental health programming for those in need, as well as advocacy for victims and families affected by violence. The mothers who participated in this series are all part of the monthly support group hosted by PPJ.  

The mothers expressed a need for a platform to share their stories. Most of their cases are still unsolved. They all fight for justice. They want people to feel their pain and join them on the mission to both peace and justice.

You can watch the eight short films at this link: http://localhost:8888/sf2020/mothers.