In Spring 2019, Michigan Liberation organized to free Black mothers from cages in Michigan who were jailed solely because of the immoral and unconstitutional practice of money bail—also referred to as wealth-based pretrial detention. Our action highlighted the role of profiteers in the bail bonds industry, exposed the massive underlying social inequities leading to contact with the legal system, and inspired community action.
This Bailout Day is rooted in the history of Black Liberation, where enslaved and free Black people used their collective resources to purchase each other’s freedom. Until we end the practice of caging human beings, we will continue to find ways to get our people free. Our bailout seeks to root itself in community-centered values that engage and support the communities that we are fortunate to build with.