Skip to content
NOWCAST KSBW Action News 8 at 6 pm
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Field Notes: How 'Mothers of the Movement' continue to fight for justice

An in-depth conversation with the mother, grandmother of Stephon Clark

Field Notes: How 'Mothers of the Movement' continue to fight for justice

An in-depth conversation with the mother, grandmother of Stephon Clark

just that people know the truth. What happened as she didn't deserve this, that people are fired for doing this to heart? The only thing I want for my son is peace and justice, and I will make sure that he gets there. I want justice for him because he was good. Justice, Justice Justice, the county's district attorney, announced this weekend that no charges will be filed against the two police officers who fatally shot Stefan Clark nearly a year ago. Was disappointing For a moment. I believe that my son would be that that case because we still for what was right from the beginning. And we were heard. As I always explain to people, It's so important for us to talk to those love ones, especially the mother of a child, because who better to tell their story? Who better to let the world know that their child wasn't just another name, another person, another blackmail? Who better to tell their story that day? It was Sunday dinner I was cooking. That was Sunday and my granddaughter came into the living room and she put on you to take me to the king so she was making about praise dance because she does praise dancing with at our church. And so she started dancing to it and she had also beautiful steps. And I started crying. He started crying and I said little, But I told you you was going quiet on that song. I told you so. He picked her up any picture sister when he started hugging her. So after that, I said, Well, little papa, you want to get something to eat? And he said, No, but I'll be right back and there, Um, all I know is that I heard some shooting. Okay, March 2018. This time it's Sacramento. Two police officers investigating reports of broken windows chase Stefan Clark into a backyard. Officers say they believed Clark had a gun aimed at them. It turns out it was a cell phone. Have called all the foremost our friend Issa got Please let us get shot. So let's get shot. So something like it was the Lord telling me God told me to look out the window and that's when I say the little boat, everything us on everything. It didn't happen away from the family. This happened in the backyard of Stefan's grandma. So for them, this reality is really every day because they live with the reality that this young man died. He was killed in the back yard of a relative so that, I think only makes it even more difficult because they don't get to, in a sense, detach from the location. They don't get to go anywhere else to process, to deal with it is there, at their home, is ever present for them. And so those sentiments in those feelings of just, you know, frustration of pain, of anger and in some cases, just rage at the circumstances. The situation we've been robbed, a family peace, you know, we all have to have counseling and therapy. My nine year old at the time was seven when that happened. She wants to. She watched her brother get killed. She was the last person to see Stefan alive. I never thought it would be my grandson. I never thought it would be here in a million years. It was horrible. It was the most worst thing I ever seen in my entire life. How it played out, you know, even now, years later, those feelings are still very real and very raw for them. I don't get the sense that any of that has gone away. You know that feeling that there wasn't injustice, and the people that are responsible won't ultimately faced the justice that the family seeks. I think it's still very, very much a part of their everyday life. Stefan. Something first, child. Very okay. I buried a daughter, which was first. She lived 10 minutes and then my first wants on was murdered. And due to community violence, I have a Children. So that was my fourth child was really passionate, very protective of me. Very super, particularly his mom under the whole family. If something was going on, you call off and he's no questions. You know what The market's My first son was murdered. Street violence begets street violence. So I understood that, you know, you know, he was a baby. He was 16. I understood. I understood it doesn't make sense. But with the police, I couldn't understand that all of the emotions that could possibly come up with that I think I've experienced. And so because I found my faith again, I found my voice. Okay. And my voice comes in a perspective of in 15 and giving the most have a number of worship A boys, a lot of our mothers and our communities have lost their sons and their daughters on. And it was really important that from Stefan Clark's mother standpoint to make sure other mothers were here and they were brought together so they can share their experiences. The passenger bill 83 92 with the Stefan Clark Law for California will prevent other mothers from agriculture. What I did, and that's the ultimate goal to make change. I do that because I refused to celebrate the day today. I do got to celebrate this life. I do that to bring a safe place for other mothers, to come together and dance and sing and say good memories about their sons and not have to be worried about the police, the news laws, the mayor's that critics? No, that just love, just love and memories and good food and music. And I mean, it's wonderful that what we can be there to talk and could be that it lift each other because you can't you can't nobody's child is better. Nobody else's job. Nobody spite is no better than nobody else's bike. We all are in here together. A lot of us pray together and hold each other and talk to each other in the middle of the night when nobody else is around when everybody's gone, where no cameras don pitchers ago, people's gone. We call each other and we embrace were talking face time. We cry together, we hold each other. We do a lot with each other, the uplifted because some days you have good days. Someday you'll have bad days and some days you don't even feel like getting up. I think because I by the grace of God, I was able to come up for here. OK, I'm able to give them a voice now, and I'm able to redirect my perspective like I didn't go through this for nothing. I'm not going to allow the pain that I've experienced to be in pain. There's going to be a change in this nation, and the mothers will be hurt. Nearly two years after the death of Stephon Clark, the Fortune schools chose to name its playground in memory of Clark. The farm was a playful person. This is his kind of light energy is going to be in this playground, and I know he's looking down. I know he's so happy. I'm so proud of our family and how we have to keep his legacy alive. I am blessed child community, and I worked from the South Socks Sacramento. I knew that Little Papa very proud that his name wouldn't be forgotten. Being banged youth working in the backyard where he was murdered grow things around the gross and greens potatoes for their family. They ain't got to go to the store. They could, you know, grow their own food. And so that's what is a wonderful thing. That's what's going on for my grandson. Fact. The dialogue of what needs to be done different is here now is hope. I asked Stefan laws. No, Clark, but I am Sacramento to this is my home and we will have changed here
Advertisement
Field Notes: How 'Mothers of the Movement' continue to fight for justice

An in-depth conversation with the mother, grandmother of Stephon Clark

On March 18, 2018, Stephon Alonzo Clark's family changed forever.Sequita Thompson was at home with her husband and granddaughter that evening when she heard gunshots near her house. “I crawled on the floor and I started praying. And I said 'please God, don’t let us get shot, don’t let us get shot,'” said Thompson.Little did she know the target was her grandson, Stephon, who was shot and killed in her back yard by the Sacramento Police. Police said they believed Clark was holding a gun. But in fact, he was actually holding a cellphone. In response to no charges being filed against the officers responsible, Stephon's mother and grandmother became committed to keeping his name alive. Two years later, the family has transmuted their pain into purpose as they fight for justice, support other mothers who have lost their children to police and gun violence and became a light for their community. Stephon's mother, SeQuette Clark, is a founder of the I Am Sac Foundation, which has successfully fought for the passing of Assembly Bill 392, the Stephon Clark law, in California which created tougher standards for police to use deadly force. She also hosts an annual event for mothers to support their healing. "Because I found my faith again, I found my voice, OK. And my voice comes in a perspective of empathy and giving the mothers who haven't found their voice yet a voice," said SeQuette Clark. His grandmother, Mrs. Thompson, is the founder of Blessed Child Community, which creates positive programming for children and has transformed the back yard where her grandson was killed into a garden for children to grow their own food.The title 'Mother of the Movement' is not something anyone would want. But because their strength and passion for justice has inspired so many, it is the title they have earned. Sequita Thompson and SeQuette Clark sat down with FIELD NOTES to discuss what it’s like to deal with the trauma of losing a loved one this way and how they have worked to help other women and families, who have lost sons and daughters, through it. We also spoke to KCRA's Brandi Cummings, who has covered the family's story closely since 2018 to get her insight.Each week, “Field Notes” brings you a handful of stories about how people across the country are educating themselves, speaking out against racism, and finding ways to help the United States get closer to becoming a place that's safe and inclusive for all.

On March 18, 2018, Stephon Alonzo Clark's family changed forever.

Advertisement

Sequita Thompson was at home with her husband and granddaughter that evening when she heard gunshots near her house. “I crawled on the floor and I started praying. And I said 'please God, don’t let us get shot, don’t let us get shot,'” said Thompson.

Little did she know the target was her grandson, Stephon, who was shot and killed in her back yard by the Sacramento Police. Police said they believed Clark was holding a gun. But in fact, he was actually holding a cellphone.

In response to no charges being filed against the officers responsible, Stephon's mother and grandmother became committed to keeping his name alive.

Two years later, the family has transmuted their pain into purpose as they fight for justice, support other mothers who have lost their children to police and gun violence and became a light for their community.

Stephon's mother, SeQuette Clark, is a founder of the I Am Sac Foundation, which has successfully fought for the passing of Assembly Bill 392, the Stephon Clark law, in California which created tougher standards for police to use deadly force. She also hosts an annual event for mothers to support their healing.

"Because I found my faith again, I found my voice, OK. And my voice comes in a perspective of empathy and giving the mothers who haven't found their voice yet a voice," said SeQuette Clark.

His grandmother, Mrs. Thompson, is the founder of Blessed Child Community, which creates positive programming for children and has transformed the back yard where her grandson was killed into a garden for children to grow their own food.

The title 'Mother of the Movement' is not something anyone would want. But because their strength and passion for justice has inspired so many, it is the title they have earned.

Sequita Thompson and SeQuette Clark sat down with FIELD NOTES to discuss what it’s like to deal with the trauma of losing a loved one this way and how they have worked to help other women and families, who have lost sons and daughters, through it. We also spoke to KCRA's Brandi Cummings, who has covered the family's story closely since 2018 to get her insight.


Each week, “Field Notes” brings you a handful of stories about how people across the country are educating themselves, speaking out against racism, and finding ways to help the United States get closer to becoming a place that's safe and inclusive for all.