27 Beverly “Bev” Barnum (she/her)

Beverley ‘Bev’ Barnum, suburban wife, mom of two teenagers, and now human rights activist, utilizes her gender, race, and maternal instincts to protect those who have been racially targeted. As a Mexican resident of Oregon, Barnum began her activism in 2020 when the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was in the spotlight. She could not stand to sit and watch the cruel acts experienced by protesters and decided to join in. She founded the group known as ‘Wall of Moms’, a group of mothers dedicated to protecting protestors from the military tactics used by federal agents and local law enforcement during peaceful protests.

The ‘Wall of Moms’ journey began with Barnum’s creation of a social media post and Facebook group urging others to join her efforts in protecting protestors from harm. Soon enough hundreds of moms provided support through marketing, finding resources and participating in protests. Barnum’s inspiration to advocate for human rights stemmed not only from the cruel murder of George Floyd but also for Shai’India, a woman shot in the head by her partner. Her death was ignored and she became yet another woman who received no justice. Additionally, watching videos on news and social media platforms of protestors being thrown into unmarked vehicles by law enforcement left Barnum with an uneasy feeling she could not let slide. Barnum could no longer ignore the injustices occurring in her own town and decided to take matters into her own hands.

‘Wall of Moms’ was a group which inspired others to create their own groups including the ‘Wall of Dads’, who joined the protest in Oregon to bring even further protection for protestors. Barnum and other ‘Wall of Moms’ participants were scrutinized by the public, being told they were taking the spotlight away from the real issue at hand. Barnum stated “I want to make it clear that the wall of moms’ purpose is to act as a literal wall. We’re not leading chants or leading the marches. We follow the lead of whoever has the megaphone.” She stresses that the ‘Wall of Moms’ is a form of protection, using their ‘upper middle class’ and racial privilege to create a platform for African American communities to stand and fight for their human rights.

During protests, participants of the group were physically injured with flash guns, tear gas, and batons, but they did not stand down. Barnum and the other Moms appealed to the traditional gender norms of women and their maternal rage to fight for what is right. “We moms are often underestimated. But we’re stronger than we’re given credit for.” The 2020 protests subsided with time, but Barnum’s activism did not. She continues to use her position as founder and role as a woman and a mother to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, BIPOC representation, and women’s roles in politics through her social media platforms on both personal accounts and ‘Wall of Moms’ accounts. Barnum’s activism is far from over.