To kick off the Lunar New Year, the Colorful Mamas of the 99% held a festive, family-friendly protest in front of a Bank of America branch in Oakland’s Chinatown Saturday. Over 50 children, parents and friends gathered to stand up to corporate greed and voice their vision for a better future. Two families closed their accounts at Bank of America. Andrea Ibarra-Tacdol with her husband, Benjamin Ibarra , and their two children closed their accounts during the action, stating, "We are tired of corporations like Bank of America refusing to pay their fair share, putting profits over people. We plan to move our money to a community bank that invest directly back into the community." The protest included an interactive skit with children dressed as a dragon and lion working with the townspeople of "Oaklandia" to create a healthy community where everyone puts in their fair share. The action ended with children leading a march around Bank of America. Children and families chanted "Timeout! You better share!" "Moms of color carry the brunt of the financial hardships in today’s economy. Our children are disproportionately at risk of home insecurity, food insecurity, and our schools are either being shut down or overcrowded. We lost our home to foreclosure about a year ago and I am currently unemployed. I am participating because corporations like Bank of America need to pay their fair share. I am here today because I want my children to learn to stand up for what they believe in," said Prishni Murillo, Oakland resident and mother of two children. Inspired by the Occupy Movement, Colorful Mamas of the 99% emerged out of a local Bay Area playgroup for mamas of color. "We are mothers of color who work or live in the East Bay concerned about the future of our children and the direction that corporate greed is taking our country," the mamas said in a statement.

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