Lucy McBath is the mother of Jordan Davis, the unarmed teenager gunned down at a Florida gas station for refusing to turn down the radio which was playing loud rap music. Although Jordan’s murderer, Michael Dunn, has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the crime, Lucy has remained a very vocal advocate on behalf of all victims of such violence.
Here, she reminisces about Jordan while discussing “3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets,” a documentary chronicling the trial of her son’s killer. She also discusses her commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement and to pressuring the criminal justice system to hold all violators of black civil rights accountable.
Robertson Treatment “3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets” was a very powerful film. What did you think of it?
Lucy McBath: I’m extremely pleased because it’s truthful and it does the very thing we wanted, which is impact people. It’s been very, very well received, particularly among people who never spent much time thinking about the issues of racism and biases and guns and violence. They see how we’re all related dynamically to my story in some way, because it’s everybody’s story.
RT: What interested you in participating in this documentary?
LM: I’m a product of the Civil Rights Era. My father was a Civil Rights leader, so, I understood the power and authenticity of being able to move people for a cause. I felt that this would be one of the most effective ways to reach the largest possible audience and to prick their conscience and to get them to open their homes and communities to discussions about gun violence and race. This gives us a chance to reach more people than we’d ever be able to just in our own communities.
RT: How would you describe Jordan in 25 words or less?
LM: Fun-loving, intuitive, spiritual and humorous… [Chuckles] He was always playing jokes, yet he was also really concerned about others, especially people who had less than he had and people who didn’t have the opportunities that he had.
RT: What was it like to not only lose your son, but to have to grieve in the national spotlight, and at a time you were also battling breast cancer?
LM: It was extremely, extremely difficult. I had to deal with my son being murdered as well as my health, and have it all played out in the media. But I understood the inherent importance of what we were doing, and that I would have to put aside all of my ills and my “isms” because what God was doing was much greater than Jordan, and that Jordan’s life was serving as a catalyst for change. So, I had to put aside what was uncomfortable for me to do what I needed to do.
RT: Have you bonded with any of the other parents of other unarmed young blacks killed by whites in recent years?
LM: Absolutely! I’m good friends with Sybrina Fulton [Trayvon Martin’s mother]. Just recently, I spent some time with Michael Brown’s mother [Leslie McSpadden]. I’ve met Eric Garner’s mother [Gwen Carr] and Tamir Rice’s mother [Samaria Rice], too. Every year in Miami, Sybrina hosts what she calls “The Circle of Mothers.” Along the way, I’ve had a chance to meet quite a few other mothers who are grieving over the murders of their children, many of whose cases never garnered national attention.
RT: Do you see a psychological difference in yourself from them, since you’re the only mother whose son’s killer was convicted of murder.
LM: In that regard, I’m kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Just because we’ve received justice, doesn’t mean that we don’t care about everyone who hasn’t. It actually makes us even more passionate because we know that justice can be done. We wanted to set a precedent in the justice system to give a sense of hope to our people. We have to care about what’s happening in our community. We have to care about the other mothers and fathers who have never received justice for their loved ones. So we feel very responsible to continue to stand and fight the system with our heads high for the rest of our lives, if necessary, until we create the changes necessary for everyone to receive justice.
RT: What message do you want people to take away from 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets?
LM: I want people to think about more than just themselves. I want them to think about what’s happening in the country, dynamically, in terms of racism and fear and guns and violence. And if you don’t condone what’s going on, I’d like you to ask yourself what you’re going to do about it. In what small way can you contribute to make sure everyone’s human and civil rights are respected. We all have a responsibility to be each other’s keepers. If we don’t, we’re going to begin to fall as a nation.
RT: What advice should parents of young black males give them about the dangers they face in society?
LM: What we taught Jordan was: We do not want you to live in fear, however, you must protect yourself. You must be aware of your surroundings and who you spend time with, and you must understand that, as a young black male, people will make assumptions about you without even knowing you. I even had a big discussion with Jordan after the killing of Trayvon Martin, warning him that people no longer use reasonable convict resolution nowadays. That they will just take out their guns and shoot you. I remember saying to him, “Jordan, sweetie, you’ve got to be careful, because someone might shoot you rather than try to revolve a conflict peacefully.” He said, “No, mom, that’s not going to happen to me. I’m going to be okay.” It tears my heart apart whenever I reflect upon that conversation because I was foreshadowing my own child’s demise.
RT: How would you like Jordan to be remembered?
LM: I want him to be remembered as a young man who was very loving. He loved God; he loved his friends; and he was very inclusive, trying to bring all different types of people together. And he surrounded himself with kids who had a heart like his. I really believe that if Jordan had been allowed to live out his life here on Earth, he would have become a civil activist creating change out in the community. And now, I’ve become that very thing that I saw in my own son.
RT: If you could have a chance to speak with Jordan what would you say?
LM: [Long pause] I understand why you’re not here, sweetie… [While weeping] And I accept it, because I know that you were here for this short period of time for a greater purpose. Despite my selfish desire to have you here because you’re my son and because I love you, I understand that God had to call you home because you were needed for a larger purpose. I hope that I was the mother that you needed me to be. I want you to know that I am doing well and that I need you to continue to give me the strength to now be the mother to other sons.
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Grade: B+
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