Black Lives Matter – Join the Movement!

By Susan Brown | June 10, 2020 |

At no other time in the history of Kids Co. have we faced such harrowing times. Between the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the heart wrenching reality of the injustice and racism that exists today, Kids Co. is still doing our very best to provide care to children AND plan for a future beyond the pandemic. For Kids Co., where there is despair, there is still hope. I couldn’t be more proud of staff for their service and courage.

Kids Co. stands firm in our belief that social justice is worth fighting for, that human dignity is a right, not a privilege, and we share in the work to create a more just and equitable community. To demonstrate our solidarity, Kids Co. is joining the Black Lives Matter statewide day of action in support of Black lives on Friday, June 12, 2020. The day of action includes a general strike and a silent march to honor and mourn the lives lost to police brutality and institutional racism.

Kids Co. joins this movement to end the persistent oppression of black lives by closing our doors on Friday, June 12^th.

We understand that this closure may impact our families using emergency care in that they may not be able to go to work. Kids Co. did not enter into this decision lightly. Our hope is that by closing the center, families are able to participate, should they choose, in this movement, on this day, in some way.

Knowing that the safety of our kids, families, staff, and community is paramount, here are just a few of the many ways you can participate in this change movement:

Information on the statewide strike, including how to stay safe if you choose to participate in the silent march.

LEARN

Guide to Allyship
RaceConcious.org
Talking About Race
For white folks especially working to become allies and eventually accomplices in anti-racist work: Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources

WATCH

The Black Panthers Vanguard of the Revolution
Just Mercy
13^th– Netflix
The Hate U Give
Something Happened In Our Town (YouTube animated movie)
Selma

READ – buy books from black owned bookstores

Books For Adults: (These are just a few)

‘White Fragility’ by Robin Diangelo
‘How to Be an Antiracist’ by Ibram X. Kendi
‘Me and White Supremacy’ by Layla F. Saad
‘So You Want to Talk About Race’ by Ijeoma Oluo
‘When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir’ by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
‘Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower’ by Brittney Cooper
‘An African American and Latinx History of the United States’ by Paul Ortiz
‘Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race’ by Debby Irving
‘The Hidden Rules of Race: Barriers to an Inclusive Economy’ by Andrea Flynn, Susuan R. Holmberg, Dorian T. Warren, and Felicia J. Wong
‘Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race’ by Beverly Daniel Tatum
‘Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism’ by Safiya Umoja Noble
‘The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority’ by Ellen D. Wu
‘This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror’ by Moustafa Bayoumi