Artifacts from an Anti-War Future: Reclaiming the Radical Roots of Mother's Day
Before Mother's Day was brunch and flowers, it was a demand for peace.
In 1870, Julia Ward Howe issued the "Appeal to womanhood throughout the world" (later known as "Mothers' Day Proclamation") calling for women to unite against war. "We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
And here we are in 2026. The president is on social media threatening to end entire civilizations. Automatic draft registration takes effect in December of this year.
The Mother's Day Proclamation was written for exactly this moment. So this year, we're going back to the roots.
What you'll do:
Learn about the radical roots of Mother's Day and the women who started it as an anti-war action
Explore historical examples of mothers who organized against war
Discuss our responsibility and role as women in resisting war today
Make a tangible artifact from a world where peace is how we organize society
What you'll need:
Paper, markers, scissors—whatever craft materials you have. Suggested materials here.
Willingness to imagine radically
2 hours of uninterrupted time
Who this is for: You do not need to be a literal mother to attend. In matriarchal societies, motherliness isn't about biology. It's about organizing the world around care instead of profit. If that resonates, you belong here. This workshop is open to women and femme-identified people only.
$10 of every ticket goes to National Bail Out, who coordinate the Black Mama’s Bail Out, during which they bail out as many Black mamas and caregivers as possible so they can spend Mother’s Day with their families, where they belong.
About the facilitator:
Tracee Worley is the founder of Radical Futures, an experiential futures studio that helps people rehearse the futures they're working toward. She believes imagination is the necessary work that precedes material-world action.r.