Mary Hooks is a 42-year-old Black, lesbian, feminist, abolitionist, pan-Africanist, mother, wife, and a member of Southerners On New Ground and part of the leadership of the Movement 4 Black Lives. Mary joined SONG as a member in 2009 and began organizing with them in 2010. Mary’s commitment to Black liberation, which encompasses the liberation of LGBTQ folks, is rooted in her experiences growing up under the impacts of the War on Drugs. Her people are migrants of the Great Migration–factory workers, church folks, Black women, hustlers and addicts, dykes, studs, femmes, queens, and all people fighting for the liberation of oppressed people.
Mary Hooks believes that in order to reach a world that is free from fear, and the safety and dignity of all people can be honored, Black people, oppressed people, and all those who are impacted by white supremacy must envision a new world, build our collective power both locally and globally, and take action. She has been passionate about transformative organizing work that changes hearts and minds, and has been at the forefront of combating racism by taking on fights that impact the lives of Black and brown queer and trans people in the South, such as the work to abolish money bail, defunding police, re-imagining public safety, and developing new organizers. When she is not ripping the eyebrows off of white supremacy and injustice, you can find Mary plotting, scheming, and dreaming, but most of all loving on her people. According to Mary: “The mandate: to avenge the suffering of our ancestors; to earn the respect of future generations; and to be transformed in the service of the work. Let’s get free ya’ll!”