Moms Condemn Racism, Leave International Club In Protest

BOWIE, MD — Carrie Long didn’t think she would end up in the spotlight fighting systemic racism. But here she is.

The Bowie mother of two used to lead a group of 28 women in the Moms Offering Moms Support Club, more commonly known as the MOMS Club. The international nonprofit connects at-home mothers to set up play groups for their kids, socialize and take part in volunteer opportunities.

Long was proud to be the president of Bowie’s chapter — that is, until protests against racial injustice turned Long against her previously cherished club.

The nonprofit’s neutral stance amid ongoing racial tensions has left many members feeling angered and unheard. Swaths of chapters, including Bowie’s, have disbanded from the international organization, claiming it isn’t committed to diversity and inclusion.

“They didn’t want to be part of an organization that couldn’t stand up against racism,” Long said. “They say they support all moms, but where is your compassion?”

About 20 percent of the MOMS Club chapters in the U.S. have formally cut ties with the parent organization, Long said. Nearly half of Maryland’s chapters have disbanded, she added.

Long wanted to speak out against the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died May 25 while a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck. Her chapter hoped to donate to charities that combat racial disparities, so she emailed the international board, asking for guidance.

The leaders’ reply jarred Long. The MOMS Club said that the movement was too political and that it didn’t want to compromise its status as a tax-exempt nonprofit. Chapters should not get involved in this movement, the MOMS Club urged.

“We weren’t sure what we were allowed to do,” Long said. “In hindsight, that’s a problem. We shouldn't have to worry about whether we are allowed to stand up against racism.”

The movement away from the MOMS Club started in California when the Rancho Santa Margarita chapter asked the international board to share its photo collage condemning racism. The mosaic of pictures wrote out “We stand with all moms and pledge that racial discrimination will stop with our kids.”

MOMS Club international originally agreed to post the picture, said the chapter’s president, Jill Coene Ruth. After a few days, the organization backtracked and refused to repost the collage.

The veto infuriated Ruth. She took to Facebook to air her grievances and announce her resignation.

“I am so disgusted with their decision not to share,” Ruth said. “Stating that moms pledge to end racial discrimination is too political? Cowards. Despicable. I want absolutely nothing to do with this association.”

Mothers across the country have felt that same frustration. Long says chapters in Annapolis, Crofton, Ellicott City and Perry Hall have also severed their official ties with the MOMS Club.

The international leadership has repeatedly told its members that it does not want to compromise its nonprofit status by mingling in politics. The group issued a frequently asked questions flyer to explain this stance.

That sheet says combatting racism should not be considered political. Activists construed that battle into a partisan fight, however, the MOMS Club claims.

“We support all at-home mothers, regardless of race, religion, sexuality, ethnicity and economic status,” the document says, reminding members that they can protest as individuals but not as chapters. “That is our mission and purpose, and we are proud of it.”

The MOMS Club is a 501(c)(3) group, which the IRS requires to stay out of politics. The IRS’ definition of politics, however, does not include protesting against racial disparities.

Nonprofits cannot support a candidate’s election campaign, nor can they spend a substantial amount of their time lobbying. Charities can advocate for some legislation, as long as it does not turn into one of their primary missions.

This means that 501(c)(3) organizations, such as the MOMS Club, may not endorse a candidate, but they may speak out against racism. They also can occasionally advocate for legislation, though it must not become their main focus.

“From our beginning almost 40 years ago, the MOMS Club has stood against racism and discrimination of any kind,” MOMS Club international told Patch in an unsigned email. “We have been open and welcoming to all at-home mothers, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality and economic status.”

The unnamed representative did not answer any of Patch’s follow-up questions. Without information from the MOMS Club and with no centralized chapter listings, it’s difficult to estimate the true number of chapters that have cut ties.

A former Bowie MOMS Club member suggests that more than 90 chapters have left the organization. That member, listed on Facebook only as Tahira, says more than 3,000 mothers have left in this exodus.

Tahira penned a reflective letter to Mary James, the MOMS Club founder. She published that letter on the former Bowie chapter’s Facebook page.

“To you, my Black skin is political,” wrote Tahira, a Black woman. “My skin, my hair -- these things are not political.”

While Tahira believes the MOMS Club’s passivity is complicit with white supremacy, she is thankful for the friends she has met along the way.

Tahira joined the organization hoping to find camaraderie with other at-home mothers. She instead found women who refused to remain silent.

A unanimous vote officially disbanded the Bowie chapter on June 30. The club’s former members now seek another opportunity.

Long says she is open to joining another umbrella organization. Her crew may also consider starting its own club.

No matter what, Long and her fellow moms will only consider options that let them openly condemn racism. Long says this priority weighs on mothers, especially in a city as diverse as Bowie.

“I see the sorrow in their eyes,” Long said. “I see the grief they are feeling as they have to teach their kids that they aren’t going to be treated equally.”

RELATED:

• In Time Of Trouble, Send Mothers: MOMS Club Chapters Seek Change

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