At the heart of some of the most powerful movements in this country are fed up Black mothers. They wake up each day and decide to do their part in making this world safer for their children and families. And yet, they’re often met with the most scrutiny from the broader community. There is so much talk about what Black mothers should wear and how they should act, and yet they’re carrying entire communities on their back. It’s a part of their legacy. It’s what they do because they love us.

In that spirit, Black Joy speaks with Angela Ferrell-Zabala, a devoted mother and community organizer. She is also the first-ever Executive Director of Moms Demand Action and the first Black woman to lead the organization. Walking in the footsteps of so many women before her, including her mother and grandmother who she credits for inspiring her activist work, Ferrell-Zabala discusses what led her to becoming a part of the movement to end gun violence and why young people will lead the way.

What are you most looking forward to accomplishing as the first ever executive director and the first black woman to lead this organization?

We came about because our founder, Shannon Watts, saw the Sandy Hook mass shooting in a school and she was compelled to action because she was a mother and it was frightening. It was angering [and] all the feelings she felt really sparked this movement. . .I want to continue to lean into the incredible foundation that was built. Continue to push for policies that are gonna save lives every day from state to local to federal legislation.

I want to continue to work with and meet incredible volunteers across the country and inspire more to join us and not just stand up and advocate for good policy, but also continue to help these folks that move into this movement to decide that they’re gonna also run for office and start writing the good policy, because what’s going to really change the way that we’re moving in this country is [having] gun sense champions and others that are willing to step up and be bold and courageous and do what the majority of American people want, which is common sense gun reform in this country and safe communities.

I’m also looking forward to embracing our young leaders. . . young people [are] the heart and soul of making sure we are moving the country in the right direction. They push us in ways that are really important to sustain this movement and to give us new ideas and ways of approaching it. So, I really want to lean into that as well.

I can imagine that at times organizing around gun safety can be exhausting, especially because there’s this continued prevalence of mass shootings in this country. How do you find or curate joy in your life in the midst of that exhaustion with this work?

I have a very strong faith foundation. I believe deeply in the divine, and I do believe this was a divine call for me. I also am a mother of four children and if not me, who? I’m gonna get up and do what I can to make sure that not only are my children safe, but my community and other folks’ children and families are safe as well.

But then I also have to unplug. So I think it’s looking at the little things and appreciating them. . .I remember hustling to get [my daughter] to school. . . and she kept tugging at my sleeve and I was like, ‘Come on, we gotta get in the car.’ And she’s like, ‘But mama, look at the fluffy clouds, aren’t they so nice?’ And I just took a moment and I said, ‘You’re right.’ I gotta slow down [and] make sure that I’m appreciating what I have, which is my beautiful family, and that I have the absolute right to joy.

I think that’s also something that comes out of being a black woman. Oftentimes when you look at our history, our ancestors, our relatives, they were in spots where there was no blueprint for any kind of liberation, and somehow they put one foot in front of the other and they made it their priority to find joy, to connect, to find love. And so I just feel like it’s rooted in my DNA and I always tap into that and just remember that I’m not the only one. I’m part of a larger movement of people [doing] this work. And so I don’t have to bear the weight on my shoulders alone. And that gives me great pride and joy.

Describe what a future without gun violence looks like to you.

Folks can actually walk out into their neighborhoods without any fear of violence. They can go about daily activities without wondering or looking over their shoulder…our young people can thrive. They can stop worrying about how am I gonna be safe in my classroom? And get away from the trauma of the school drills or just knowing that this is the leading cause of death for them, for young people, for teenagers and young adults in this country. And they can grow into the humans that they aspire to be, to really create the communities that we want to have that are gonna make us move in different ways, whether it’s sciences, the arts, there’s so much potential in our young people…I just see liberation and freedom and that we can see each other more wholly and connect because we’re removing this barrier of fear that automatically comes when you have this kind of violence in the country.

Did you have any other final thoughts on gun violence in the US or your work with Moms Demand Action?

Well, one thing I would say is that it can seem so heavy to turn on the news and you think there is no way that this is getting better, it’s getting worse. And I would say to those folks that we are actually making progress. A decade ago, we didn’t have the kind of gun sense champions that are actually pushing on a state, local, and even federal level to make sure that we’re enacting policies that are gonna save lives…So there’s a lot that’s happening even though you might see the news every day and feel really upset by that.

And then the last thing I would say is that while, yes, I am the first Black woman to hold this role and the first time that this position has been a part of Moms Demand Action, I stand on the shoulders of incredible people that have been doing this well before I came along from my own family members to leaders in the community, particularly Black women that have done this before anyone gave them any shine or attention or resources. So, I hope to continue to lock arms with those courageous women and push this forward because I know that together we all can actually end gun violence in this country.