This Labor Day Weekend is again a time to honor the workers who have made America all that it is—especially all those who work with and for children. “A Child Advocate’s Beatitudes,” inspired by Clarence Jordan’s Sermon on the Mount, is a prayer for all.
On August 28, 1963, I stood on the National Mall with uncontained excitement and tears with Bob Moses, Ella Baker, Julian Bond, and 250,000 others.
Charles Ogletree, who died August 4, was one of our nation’s preeminent legal scholars and a lifelong champion for racial and social justice.
How long will our nation continue to allow children to feel scared in their own neighborhoods, schools, and homes?
When our children see the news right now, what are they thinking? We are at a moment where adults everywhere are reminded once again that we must all continue to strive to be the examples we want our children to emulate.
Racial Justice
On July 25, the day that would have been Emmett Till’s 82nd birthday, President Joe Biden hosted a White House signing ceremony for a proclamation establishing the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois.
Gun Violence
When 10-year-old Maite Rodriguez was murdered by an assault rifle in her fourth-grade classroom alongside two teachers and 18 classmates, her parents had to identify her body by those favorite sneakers.
Gus Newport, who passed away in June, was a warrior for social justice, equality, and peace who spent his life pushing local, national, and international communities to get closer to “best.”
Christine King Farris, who passed away on June 29 at age 95, embodied a legacy of servant-leadership as an educator and activist. She taught generations of students at Spelman College and helped establish the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Change in Atlanta, where she served as a founding board member, vice-chair, and treasurer.
The Fourth of July holiday is meant to bring Americans together to celebrate the promise of our Declaration of Independence. This year we are reminded again of the work that still needs to be done to make our nation live up to its ideals.