Photo by Lorenzo Gomez
Mother’s Day protest held outside Men’s Central Jail
Wave Wire Services
LOS ANGELES — Mother’s Day included a healing service outside the Men’s Central Jail for mothers of sons who died in custody.
“Stand With Mothers” began with a rally at 3 p.m. May 9 outside the jail. The mothers then camped overnight in tents on the lawn in front of the jail leading up to the healing service at 10:30 a.m. May 10, according to a statement from the group to the Los Angeles Times.
“As we approach the second annual Mother’s Day Action Weekend — a time that holds both deep sorrow and a powerful sense of solidarity — we were looking forward to honoring our children’s memories together,” the statement said.
“The symbolism of sleeping on the ground — within eyesight of the same buildings where our children took their last breaths yet under the same sky our children were denied access to see — is not just a gesture without impact. It is an act of remembrance, resistance, and love that matters deeply to us.
“As mothers, this gathering is for our children. For our healing. And for the truth.”
The service also included a call to permanently close the Men’s Central Jail, remarks from spiritual leaders, a memorial tribute led by mourning mothers, and live music.
Mothers participating in the service included Pulane Lucas, president and CEO of Policy Pathways Inc., a Richmond, Virginia-based nonprofit organization that bills itself as training and educating individuals seeking to become leaders in public policy and the public sector.
Lucas is the mother of Stanley Wilson Jr., who died on Feb. 1, 2023, at age 40 after collapsing at Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk where he had been transferred that morning. He had been in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility after entering a home in the Hollywood Hills during a psychotic break, according to The Times.
Wilson was raised in Carson, was a star running back and cornerback at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance and an honorable mention All-Pac-10 cornerback as a Stanford senior in 2004.
Wilson was chosen in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, the 72nd overall selection, played three seasons with the team, before his career ended when he tore an Achilles tendon during an preseason game in 2008.
Wilson is a son of Stanley Wilson Sr., a star running back at Banning High School, Oklahoma and the Cincinnati Bengals, best known for being banned for life from the NFL after he committed his third drug offense on the eve of Super Bowl XXIII in 1989.
Wilson’s parents filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Department, the Department of State Hospitals and Los Angeles County in September, seeking $45 million, according to The Times. They amended their complaint in April, refiling it in Los Angeles Superior Court after a federal judge ruled the case is a California state matter, The Times reported.
