Gwen Carr, the mother of the late Eric Garner, received the Super Happy Healthy Kids Award at its eighth annual Black Tie Gala, held at the renowned Tavern on the Green inside New York City’s Central Park. The nonprofit, anti-bullying organization recognized Carr for her tenacity, courage and strength in the untimely death of her son, who was killed by the NYPD in July 2014, an atrocious act that captured national attention. She was also lauded for This Stops Today, her memoir that recounts her newfound role as an activist in the fight for racial equality.
In her emotional acceptance speech, Carr spoke about how hard it is to lose a child. “Your child, who laid under your heartbeat for nine months, and you know him or her better than anybody else, they don’t know what that does to you,” she shared. “I want to stop the violence, no matter what type of violence it is. It could be police violence. It could be street violence. It could be domestic violence. We have to come together because violence doesn’t have a color.”
Carr also discussed the E.R.I.C. Foundation, which stands for “Eliminating Racism and Inequality Collective” in honor of her son, and then made a charitable donation to Super Happy Healthy Kids in her foundation’s name.
Since her son’s death, Carr has advocated for a full serving of justice, not only for her own but for families affected by police brutality at the hands of the NYPD. As a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, her voice is that of several generations, all of whom have suffered greatly over the loss of their beloved Eric and who grieve for the mothers of victims who have not received extensive media coverage. She works with other organizations to ensure accountability at the hands of lawmakers and remains stridently dedicated to the cause of justice for her son.
With a mission to change lives with kind words and kind acts to create a peaceful, bully-free world, Super Happy Healthy Kids, is a non-profit organization that provides after-school programs for children throughout New York City.
