As we conclude our year-long Social Justice for Young Children Conversation Series, I am pleased to share my reflections on our collective journey. Over the past year, we have been exploring what it means to center the needs of young children marginalized by racism, xenophobia, and economic inequality. We invited advocates, parent and community organizers, coalition leaders, and researchers to share their wisdom, aiming to further our exploration of what it would mean to be a social justice funder for young children.
As I reflect on our exploration, I am deeply grateful for the contributions of all of our authors and would like to highlight the key lessons we have learned. I am excited about the power of centering children in pursuit of the common good, advancing movements to drive social change, and bringing unexpected connections among organizers, advocates, researchers, and funders—who all too often operate in different lanes—to advance justice for children and families.
We are early in our journey, and as we continue learning and growing in our pursuits, I hope readers will join us in reflecting on our individual roles in ensuring that social justice remains at the forefront of children’s advocacy and policymaking. I invite you to revisit the series, which features invaluable insights from leaders across various fields and movements, so that we can collectively envision how to build a more just society for young children.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
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