Depelsha McGruder

Neither a Harvard MBA nor a nearly 20-year career in media prepared Depelsha Thomas McGruder, 50, for her greatest challenge: raising two Black boys. How to keep them safe in a culture that often treats Black males as dangerous, disposable or both, was ever-present in the back of her mind, but it moved to the forefront after a spate of viral videos of cops killing unarmed Black men. That led her to start a Facebook group where she found out thousands of other Black moms had similar concerns but fewer resources to make a difference. That group turned into a nonprofit organization, Moms of Black Boys United (MOBB), that uses media campaigns, partnerships and other advocacy strategies toward its end goal, which is expressed in a hashtag: #ProtectThem