“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On January 5th, Georgians elected their first Black senator, proving the seismic power of organizing and voting to drive change, and embodying the profound words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” We know for these words to continue to be true, we must do the work to make them so.
On January 6th, the same day the results of the Georgia runoff elections were announced, a mob of White supremacists stormed the United States Capitol and launched an attempted insurrection, demonstrating the deadly power that false narratives, grounded in racism, can yield. Kindred remains committed to doing the work to bend the arc of our history toward justice, and conversations with people of all different identities has never been more important as a method for all of us to grapple with who we are and how we show up in schools and other public spaces.
We invite you to help us spread our work by sharing this newsletter with someone in your own network who may be searching for ways to support the change we seek in our country and the world.
To our school and family partners, we are grateful for and inspired by the work you continue to do together to create anti-racist, equitable, and loving schools where everyone belongs and thrives.
To our entire Kindred family, we extend our continued wishes of wellness, safety, and solidarity in this ever-challenging – yet relentlessly hope-filled – time.
Kindred partner updates
As Kindred’s dialogue groups and equity teams have transitioned to meeting online, we want to shout out the amazing facilitators on Kindred’s staff and throughout our school communities for their flexibility and tireless work! Here’s a snapshot of what our partners have been up to.
This past November, Walker-Jones Education Campus held a turkey distribution event for families within the school community. Kindred’s facilitators at Walker-Jones, Mike and Theresa (pictured), joined, distributing turkeys and connecting with families in person after meeting online for several weeks this school year. Walker-Jones families have been meeting each Monday night for Parents’ Nite Out to engage in social networking, dialogue, and serious fun.
Kindred parent and staff participants came together on January 9th for our first facilitator training of the new year! Kindred community members from Walker-Jones Education Campus, Takoma Education Campus, and Mundo Verde Public Charter School engage
d in this inter-school training to support their ongoing work to advance educational equity and racial justice in their communities. We are always grateful for the opportunity to come together across schools, and we look forward to more to come in 2021!
Parents and staff in E.L. Haynes’ equity team, ROAR, are preparing for their launch of a 5-session dialogue group. To support their family recruitment efforts, the team created this awesome infographic, which will be shared during the school’s upcoming parent-teacher conferences! To explore more, check out ROAR’s website here.
Garrison Elementary School’s equity team families spearheaded efforts to establish the Garrison Mutual Aid Network. Appreciating the impact of ward-based mutual aid, they sought to establish a central hub of support for the Garrison community. Following extensive research of best practices, they are launching an effort to reach and support as many families as possible. At Garrison’s most recent PTO meeting, families shared the ways in which the Garrison Mutual Aid Network seeks support, detailed in the flyer to the left.
Celebrating 5 years!
Thank you, Kindred Community, for joining us in celebrating five years serving families and for your generous support of our work. Whether you joined The Kindred Spirit just the other day or signed on with our inaugural newsletter, we appreciate you!
To the more than 100 individuals who collectively donated $18,193 to our fundraising campaign, please accept our deepest gratitude. It is an honor to have your support!
Meet our team: Theresa Fox
We’re thrilled to introduce Kindred’s newest team member: Facilitator and Organizer Theresa Fox! Learn more about Theresa here or by clicking the button below.
Your donation will help us grow!
Please consider donating to Kindred today to help us build a force of families who have the knowledge, tools and relationships to advance racial and educational equity!