By: Michael A. Memoli, Los Angeles Times

PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 26: Mothers of the Movement (L-R) Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontre Hamilton; Annette Nance-Holt, mother of Blair Holt; Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Geneva Reed-Veal, mother of Sandra Bland; Lucia McBath, mother of Jordan Davis; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; and Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley, mother of Hadiya Pendleton; Lezley McSpadden, Mother of Mike Brown and Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant; and Lezley McSpadden, Mother of Mike Brown deliver remarks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 26, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Philadelphia, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off July 25. (Photo by Paul Morigi/WireImage)

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (R) speaks during an event with former Attorney General Eric Holder and the anti-gun violence group Mothers of the Movement at St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., April 20, 2016. Clinton is joined by Nicole Bell, fiance to Sean Bell, (L), and Tanya Brown-Dickerson, mother of Brandon Tate-Brown, both of whom were killed by police. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller

On Tuesday night, July 26, 2016, Hillary Clinton was officially nominated as the Democratic candidate for President of the United States, the first woman nominated by a major party for the presidency.

A night Hillary Clinton’s campaign designed to showcase her many years of involvement in social justice causes hit an emotional high point Tuesday with an appearance by a group of women whose sons or daughters were victims of gun violence or encounters with law enforcement.

The Mothers of the Movement, as the eight women call themselves, provided one of the starkest contrasts between the two party conventions.

Republican nominee Donald Trump focused repeatedly on “law and order,” and his convention featured repeated calls of “blue lives matter.” The Democrats put a spotlight on the complex issues of urban violence, easy access to guns and the accusation that systemic racism has warped the criminal justice system.

In their remarks, the mothers portrayed Clinton as an ally in their movement.

“I didn’t want this spotlight,” said Sybrina Fulton, whose 17-year-old son, Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed by a Neighborhood Watch member in an act that sparked a national debate over Florida’s stand-your-ground law, which allows use of lethal force in some circumstances.

She praised Clinton for having compassion and understanding to support grieving mothers, courage to fight for gun safety legislation, and a plan to repair the divide between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

“This is not about being politically correct. This is about saving our children,” she said.

“Hillary Clinton isn’t afraid to say ‘black lives matter,’” said Lucia McBath. “She doesn’t build walls around her heart. Not only did she listen to our problems, she invited us to become part of the solution.”

McBath’s 17-year-old son, Jordan Davis, was shot by Michael Dunn in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 12, 2012, after an argument over whether Davis and his friends were playing music too loudly. Dunn, a white software developer, ultimately was found guilty of first-degree murder.

The decision to invite the mothers provided a way for Clinton’s campaign to associate itself with the Black Lives Matter movement in a way that featured less politically charged personalities than some of its youthful champions.

Still, the mothers’ appearance has caused controversy. The Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police said its members were “shocked and saddened” that widows of fallen police officers were not included in the lineup.

Democrats responded that there was no conflict between honoring the majority of police officers while putting a spotlight on victims of police misconduct.

Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said from the podium that “black lives matter,” but also talked about his brother who served as a police officer.  “There is no tension between protecting those who valiantly risk their lives to serve … and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly by police,” Holder said.

Presenting the mothers on the same night that Bill Clinton spoke was also a way to potentially associate him with the movement’s goals and defuse a point of tension within the Democratic coalition.

The former president has clashed publicly with Black Lives Matters protesters at a couple of campaign events after they challenged him over the anti-crime bill he signed in 1994, which they blame for the sharp increase in incarceration rates of young black men.

Experts have argued over how much impact the Clinton-era crime law had on incarceration, noting that much of the increase took place years before the law passed.

But the law has become a potent symbol, and the tension over it has made some Democrats worry that younger black voters might not turn out to cast ballots for her in November at the high levels that the Democrats need for victory.

While Hillary Clinton has embraced some of the causes championed by Black Lives Matter and has tried to break with the legacy of the 1990s on criminal justice issues, neither she nor the movement have fully embraced each other.

The relationship she has forged with the mothers has played a significant role in her effort to communicate her criminal justice policies.

Two weeks ago, she appeared at a historically black church in Philadelphia with one of the women, Tanya Brown-Dickerson. Clinton spoke at the church in the aftermath of the deaths of two more black men in policed-involved shootings and the lethal rampage directed at Dallas police officers patrolling a Black Lives Matter demonstration.

“People are crying out for criminal justice reform,” Clinton said at the church. “Families are being torn apart by excessive incarceration. Young people are being threatened and humiliated by racial profiling.”