After the death of her son, Eric Garner, at the hands of New York City police officers on Staten Island went viral, Gwen Carr’s life changed forever. The illegal chokehold that took Garner’s life has been seared into the public consciousness forever as the large black man struggled to breathe while a white policeman held him down on a hot concrete sidewalk. His death set the tone for a new normal where young black men and women now automatically document police interactions with their cell phones for fear of brutality and even death. As one of the Mothers of the Movement, Gwen Carr, a retired transit train operator, now dedicates her time to fighting for racial equality, especially the way law enforcement treats blacks in the United States. In This Stops Today, Carr shares the tragedies she’s faced, recalls her son’s life and death, and recounts her newfound role as an activist in the fight for racial equality. More than the story of a single moment, her book recounts a life of family, community, and of a woman who now speaks for those who no longer can. She has to do it for her firstborn. She has to do it for Eric.

"In this heartfelt narrative, Carr, whose son Eric Garner was killed by a New York Police Department officer in 2014, traces her unplanned path to becoming a civil rights activist....This is a sincere and passionate account." - Publishers Weekly

"What does it feel like to be one of those grieving mothers whose sons “died at the hands of ‘law enforcement’ in one way or another,” deadly encounters that led to lengthy, often-controversial trials? One grieving mother, Carr, whose son, Eric, died after his July 2014 videotaped arrest in a chokehold by NYPD officers as he struggled and said, “I can’t breathe,” tells us.... Carr provides an inside look at a life forever changed by police violence and sorrow turned into a force for social good." - Booklist

"[Carr] recounts how her son’s death led her to become an activist in her quest for justice. . . [this book] will interest anyone concerned with social justice and racial disparities in our legal system." - Library Journal