The Unyielding Fight of Emma Jones: A Story of Empowerment, Empathy, and Endurance

When a mother brings a child into the world, she dreams of nurturing, guiding, and protecting them—not of preparing to bury them because they were murdered by those sworn to serve and protect.

Emma Jones never imagined that she would be thrust into a lifelong battle for justice for her son, Malik, stolen from her by police violence.

Emma raised Malik with the same values instilled in her growing up in rural Alabama—integrity, resilience, and a deep sense of justice. From an early age, she was immersed in the fight for Black liberation, surrounded by family who encouraged her to stand firm in the face of oppression. She became involved in the Black empowerment movements of the 1950s and 1960s, which helped fuel the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party.

This foundation of activism guided her to a career in law, where she dedicated herself to advocating for those entangled in the criminal justice system.

Yet, despite her years of fighting for others, Emma never expected that she would become the one in need of support.

On April 14, 1997, an ominous feeling settled in her stomach as her phone rang. The voice on the other end urged her to rush around the corner—something terrible had happened. That moment would shatter her world.

When Emma arrived, she was met with the devastating reality that too many Black families face: her beloved son, Malik, was brutally murdered by the police, his life stolen without reason, without justification. The pain was unbearable, the grief unfathomable, but Emma refused to be broken.

Rather than succumb to despair, she transformed her anguish into action. She founded the M.A.L.I.K. Organization, a relentless force in the fight for justice—not just for her son, but for all families who have endured the same senseless loss.