On Mothers Against Murder Association

Incredibly tragic stories:

...When her 29-year-old nephew Torrey Manuel was shot on New Year's Day 2003, Williams' older sister Georgie Dixon was drowning in pain, suicidal, a lost soul. Several times, neighbors called Williams when they spotted Dixon sitting in her car screaming.

"That was the hardest week for my family," recalled Williams. "I asked God for some guidance. I needed a vision, I needed something. Then I was riding down 45th Street and I said, 'I'm going to start this organization to help others.' I wanted to do something with the word Mama."

So MAMA was born. Its office, as it happens, is in a strip mall on 45th Street, where the inspiration first struck.

Despite the group's title, the mothers are seldom against murderers. They carry their stories to prisoners, hoping to open their hearts to redemption.

In fact, Williams counsels women that they will never get past the death of a loved one if they focus on the killer.

Further muddying the healing, it is often not at all clear who to blame, since many cases remain unsolved.

When the mothers feel they are ready to speak to a group, Williams takes them to prisons and youth facilities, where they tell their stories to the inmates, in the hope that someone will hear their message of the wide-ranging damage done by murder.

In twice-a-month group sessions she leads, Williams sees women moving through rage, forgiveness and, eventually, advocacy...