Beloved,
On the morning of September 15, I stood in front of the U.S. Capitol for a press conference alongside those defending Head Start. When I looked out, I saw the faces of some of the most powerful people in Washington, D.C. Engaged voters. Advocating parents. People who will show up to be counted on the record as members of the democratic process. Policymakers committed to America’s greatest treasure: her children. I saw people who pay attention to what is being decided and make sure that what is being decided takes good care of children. On two black-and-white mats in front of the lectern, I saw young people playing as adults spoke up on their behalf. A morning gathered with young people and child advocates is a good morning, indeed.
My September morning was just a stone’s throw away from the Lincoln Memorial. Two weeks before, on August 28, as our chief strategy officer, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, spoke at the 2026 March on Washington, she bumped into a CDF alum who shared a familiar greeting in the monument’s shadow. Former CDF Freedom Schools® Servant Leader Intern and Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones was ready with the chant – “G-O-O-D M-O-R-N-I-N-G – Good morning!” – in the Freedom Schools way. A morning gathered with and greeted by young leaders raising their voices made for another good day.
Good morning greetings might feel out of place on days when the late-night news lacks joy, yet we can see daylight each day in the lives of our children. The CDF team hears June Jordan’s inspiration as our refrain and understands that “children are the ways in the world begins again and again.”
We are renewed by those works that center children, like the National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths® to be celebrated October 16-18 this year. This is a united moral witness for children that crosses all lines of geography, faith tradition, race, and ethnicity. Children’s Sabbaths observance honors a multifaith lens and is endorsed by more than 200 denominations, faith groups and communities, and religious organizations.
As a part of our Children’s Sabbaths Observance, we are encouraging each of our partners to vote early with a child. Vote FOR your children and WITH your Children. Take a child with you to the polls. Cast your vote for their future and model the value of civic participation. Feel free to share a photo of your child with their voting sticker and tag Children’s Defense Fund on Instagram at @childdefender1973. We liked those “first day” pictures for the school year. We will smile just as hard at your “first family vote” images.
For November, we have a few good days in good company planned. Join us November 4-5 in Washington, DC. During the American Youth Policy Forum, powered by CDF, we’ll come together with parents, policymakers, students, and scholars to begin our world again after the election by centering what’s best for children and youth.
For our children,
Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson
President and CEO