IJEOMA OLUO ON HOW WE CAN CREATE A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR KIDS
By Dr. Stephan Blanford
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure to share the stage with Ijeoma Oluo at Children’s Alliance’s annual Voices for Children luncheon. As one of the preeminent voices for racial justice today, Ijeoma’s bold and insightful analysis of the complexities of race, as well as her commitment to building a better future for children, made her an ideal choice to address the community of supporters who would be attending our event. Our conversation that day spanned several interconnected topics, ranging from the challenges facing educators, how we can uplift the voices and efforts of communities who are already fighting for progressive change, the importance of culturally responsive behavioral health services for young people, and the urgency to create better childhoods for future generations. If you were unable to attend the event, you can sign up here to receive a recording.
During our talk, Ijeoma and I discussed the fact that our progressive sector is currently contending with the unfulfilled promises made to us by corporations and philanthropists in the aftermath of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many others, and the racial reckoning that their unjust deaths catalyzed. Despite this grim reality, Ijeoma remained hopeful. She noted that more people than ever, including many young people, recognize that things need to change, and they are willing to step into their individual and collective power to create the future they want to see.
I came away from the event inspired and energized. Like Ijeoma, I believe that one of the most important things that adults can do is to remove obstacles so that every young person gets the opportunity to tap into their ingenuity and help solve the human-made problems that have plagued our society for too long. Furthermore, I am willing to bet that most of the 7,000-plus members of Children’s Alliance, as well as our countless partners and collaborators share this belief as well.
I am grateful to the community of supporters who showed up for us at Voices for Children—people who gave a few hours of their day to be part of the event and people who generously opened their hearts and wallets to sustain our work. It reminded me of one of Ijeoma’s most brilliant, and yet, most straightforward messages to people who are interested in being part of a progressive movement for change: “Give money if you have it. Give time if you don’t.”
As Children’s Alliance prepares for a very important legislative session next year—one where we plan to lead the fight on kids’ behavioral health, child care and defending the Capital Gains tax—I hope you will heed that simple, yet straightforward message. Each of us has the power to create a better future for our children. I urge you to think about where you can be most impactful and take decisive action today to move our collective movement towards the future you want to create.
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