Community-“ Women on Fire on the Frontline of Social Change”
Elizabeth Bishop Goldsmith, Godmother( left) Annie Long-Williams, Mother( right) MAG
Monett Hereford, Mother, Community Activist & Speaker
Andrea Clarke, Mother Founder of Mother of Murdered Children
Annie Long-Williams’ son Curtis Purnell Williams was shot 17 times and died at the scene of his second job. He worked as security for a club in Queens, NY. Williams had taken an extra job to pay for his upcoming wedding reception. He was a son, brother, uncle, father and soon to be husband. He was known in the community for his activism with youth and keeping them busy with positive recreation. His tragic death in March 1994, rocked the community and propelled both his mother and godmother into action. Annie Williams was instrumental in locating her son’ s murdered and seeing that he was brought to justice. Though grief stricken to this day Annie Williams and Purnell’ s godmother, Liz Bishop Goldsmith founded Mother’ s Against Guns shortly after his murder. Since that time the pair have done remarkable work on the frontline of Gun Laws and are very vocal on guns violence in
poor communities.
Monett Hereford’ s daughter Edwinta‘ Winnie’ Hereford was last seen alive and happy with her family May 9th, 2010. It was a Sunday and Mother’ s Day a week later her naked body was found on a stretch of highway in California. The reason and answers still unknown and killer or killers at large. Monett Hereford continues to asked for the individuals responsible or those who witnessed the tragic event to come forward. She currently has taken up the charge to help others who are grieving the violent lost of
a child.
Andrea Clark also known as AndreaLifeChangedAprilSixteenthClark is the founder of Mothers of Murdered Children a group that is unfortunately experience a growth spurt as mother’ s in Detroit and elsewhere join due the lost of a child. Darnell Perkins, a devoted father, son and brother was gunned down by club security. His homicide was classified as justified. Darnell was gifted Photographer / Videographer who was at the club on the job( capturing video). It is believed he may have captured video of an early shooting. He was pepper sprayed by club security and initially fled the club. The angered Darnell returned and drove his vehicle through the front of the club at which point the security open fired hitting Perkins several times; he died at the scene. It was shortly after Andrea Clark founded MOMC. MOMC is a self-help group that provides emotional support for mothers sharing the pain of losing
a child to murder.
Here are 4-women, that share in the tragic lost of a child to violence and murder. A study from 2000-2011 conducted by The Wall Street Journal details murders in every State in the U. S. expect Florida broken down by race, sex, age and violent act show African American are the victim and the perpetrator by large than any other demographic. Their study would indicate that African American men are specifically more to prone to die violently and to also be more prone to commit a violent crime. The vast majority are
all committed regardless of race by someone known in an act of aggression that stem from an argument turned deadly.
Edwinta“ Winnie” Hereford
Curtis Purnell Williams Darnell Perkins