The Abolitionist Sanctuary documentary unearths the stories of community mothers, church mothers, and carceral mothers who struggle to subsist when survival is not promised and freedom is not given.

At the heart of this project is the story of a poor single Black mother, Carol M. Smith, who gave birth to her first child at the age of 15 and ten years later conceived again. She struggled to provide for herself and her family against gentrification, an unjust war on drugs, tough on crime policies, the criminalization of welfare, and a booming prison industrial complex.

Black women are among the fastest growing incarcerated population. In addition, 80 percent of  women incarcerated are Black mothers. According to “The Status of Black Women in the United States” report, 80.6% of Black mothers are breadwinners—either the sole earners or primary contributors to their household incomes. And yet, they do so under crushing economic hardship and carceral forces. Black women are poorer than every other racial or ethnic group in America, with the exception of Native American women. The burden is compounded by a childcare system that is financially out of reach—in all but two states, the average cost of childcare exceeds 20% of Black women’s median earnings. Poor Black mothers are the oppressed of the oppressed and struggle to provide for their children when their backs are against the wall.

While Black mothers line prisons, they also fill pews. Black women are the most religious demographic and count on their religion to get through difficult times. However, churches are particularly silent about their struggles with survival and the prison industrial complex. According to a Pew research report, only 1/3 of churches mention the criminal system in their teachings.

As a society, we are facing a moral crisis, and at its center is the criminalization of impoverished Black motherhood. America would much rather punish poor Black mothers for their misfortune than confront the broken systems that deny them access to basic human needs.

However, it is time for a new response—we must abolitionist sanctuaries to repair harms, restore relationships, and rebuild more just and equitable systems beyond poverty, punishment, policing, and prisons.

Please help us to tell these important stories about poor Black mothers who would otherwise be overlooked and silenced by the institutions that benefit the most from their contributions. Your support helps to empower communities to tell their own stories of survival but through the lens of liberation and not criminalization–because no one should be punished for trying to survive.