Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson's For Our Children Column
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For Our Children: National Day of Social Action
John,
I have often said that CDF Freedom Schools® is the heart and soul
of our work at Children's Defense Fund. The program teaches more
than 16,000 young scholars across the country how to tap into their
own power and that of their communities in order to make meaningful
change. When they do so, they quickly come to understand that anything
is possible.
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That fact proved evident in what I saw around the country during our
July 19 National Day of Social Action (NDSA).
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In more than 120 planned events from coast to coast, thousands of CDF
Freedom Schools Scholars pushed for more gun violence prevention
efforts as they told the world: #YouthArentBulletproof.
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At the Minnesota state capitol building in St. Paul, more than 1,600
young people marched against gun violence on their streets. Meanwhile,
in East Cleveland, Ohio, scholars wrote lawmakers letters about the
impact guns have made on their communities. Those letters were later
put on display in the Ohio statehouse in
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Columbus.
CDF Freedom Schools training equipped our scholars with the civic
engagement and social action skills needed to make them comfortable to
act and make a powerful, positive impact for future generations.
One scholar, Martina Tatidoum, 14, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, said
she decided to participate in an NDSA event because she feels unsafe
in her community and wants things there to change.
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"I just want to see action," she said. "I just want to see
something being done. I don't want to speak and then nobody is doing
[anything] about it."
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Another scholar, Montae Powell, 11, of San Francisco, said it was
incumbent on other young people to join in and fight for change in
their communities too.
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"If it's [something] serious or happening in the
neighborhood or around them, I feel like they should express
themselves and really talk to grown-ups," he said.
As you can see, our scholars recognize their power to create a better
world. And their desire to fight for positive change may be so
powerful that it spreads to and influences their friends to do the
same.
There is no doubt of the CDF Freedom Schools program's power to
build community so all young people grow up with dignity, hope, and
joy. I am immensely grateful to our many CDF Freedom Schools
sites' executive directors, program directors, site
coordinators, Ella Baker Trainers, Servant Leader Interns, and
extraordinary staff who pour their hearts into creating conditions for
all children to thrive.
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For our children,
Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson
President and CEO
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