Gwen Carr

Gwen Carr (born 1949)[1] is an American activist, public speaker and author. Carr's son, Eric Garner, was killed by a New York Police Department officer who used an illegal chokehold to arrest Garner. Since her son's death, Carr has become active in police reform in the United States, including as a member of Mothers of the Movement and a voice in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Gwen Carr
Gwen Carr in 2016
Born1949 (age 70–71)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActivist
Public speaker
Author

Death of son, Eric Garner

On July 17, 2014, Carr's son Eric Garner was killed by a New York Police Department officer who used an illegal chokehold while arresting Garner. Garner's death was filmed, with "I can't breathe" being his final words, which went viral and became a mantra of the Black Lives Matter ("BLM") and anti-police brutality movement. Carr became part of the BLM movement and became a leading supporter of justice for the death of her son. On December 4, 2014, a grand jury declined to indict the police officer, Daniel Pantaleo. Carr expressed disappointment and frustration at the decision.[2]

Activism
Carr and Al Sharpton meeting with Cory Booker in 2019.

Before becoming an activist, Carr worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as a train operator. She retired in 2015 to devote her work to the civil rights movement.[3] Carr often makes appearances with Al Sharpton and National Action Network at protests and rallies opposing police brutality and supporting Black Lives Matter.[4][5]

Carr is a critic of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who in 2016 opposed a bill that would have banned police officers from using chokeholds. Carr did not vote for de Blasio in the 2017 election.[6] She endorsed Hillary Clinton in her 2016 run for president.[7]

In September 2019, Carr testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee about police brutality, alongside James Blake and Al Sharpton.[8]

After the videotaped death of George Floyd, choked by Minneapolis police in May 2020, Carr immediately contacted and consoled Floyd's family. Just like her son, Floyd's last words were also "I can't breathe." After her first conversation with the Floyd family, she told them: "Don't forget. You cannot let this go."[3][9]

Carr spoke at protests in Queens, New York and Staten Island, followed by attending Floyd's memorial service in Minneapolis and Floyd's funeral in Houston.[10][11]

Works by Gwen Carr
  • This Stops Today: Eric Garner's Mother Seeks Justice after Losing Her Son. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (2018). ISBN 1538109808
  • "Four Years Ago The NYPD Killed My Son. I'm Still Waiting For Justice.". BuzzFeed News. 12 October 2018.
  • "I Am Eric Garner's Mother. No Justice for George Floyd Unless All Four Police Are Charged—and Convicted". Newsweek. 1 June 2020.
  • "The Nightmare Was Never Over." Good Morning America. 13 July 2020.

Personal life

Carr lives on Staten Island, New York.[3]

References
  1. Carr, Gwen (2018). This Stops Today: Eric Garner's Mother Seeks Justice after Losing Her Son. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 4. ISBN 978-1538109816.
  2. Workneh, Lilly (3 December 2014). "'Hell No!': Eric Garner's Widow Rejects Officer's Condolences". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  3. Michel, Clifford (1 June 2020). "What Eric Garner's Mother Told George Floyd's Family: 'You Cannot Let This Go'". THE CITY. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  4. "Rev. Sharpton, Eric Garner's mother join rally for increased police accountability". ABC7 New York. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  5. Pendleton, Tonya (27 May 2020). "Eric Garner's mother Gwen Carr on George Floyd's death: 'It's a recurring nightmare'". TheGrio. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  6. Paybarah, Azi. "Mother of Eric Garner says she will not vote for de Blasio". Politico. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  7. Merica, Dan (21 January 2016). "Eric Garner's mother endorses Hillary Clinton". CNN. Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  8. "Eric Garner's Mother, Former Pro Tennis Player James Blake Address House On Police Brutality". CBS New York. 19 September 2019. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  9. Chan, Melissa (3 June 2020). "These Mothers Who Lost Sons to Police Violence Tell Protesters to 'Keep Up the Fight'". Time. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  10. Mannarino, Dan (3 June 2020). "Eric Garner's mother talks police chokehold ban, cops kneeling with protesters". WPIX. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  11. Dellinger, Hannah (2020-06-09). "George Floyd funeral updates: Death a 'tragedy' and a 'crime,' Rev. Al Sharpton says". SFChronicle.com. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
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