Children should not be shamed because they can't afford the cost of lunch.

Chip in to help clear Minnesota students' lunch debt.

John,

Last week, a Minnesota school forced students to throw away their hot lunch if they had just $15 in school lunch debt. Not only were the students’ lunches thrown away, but they were humiliated in front of their classmates as cafeteria staff called out students for their debt. School administrators are punishing students because their family can’t afford the cost of lunch. These kinds of actions are cruel, and we must do something to intervene.

We’re working to erase school lunch debts for Minnesota students. Chip in $5 to help erase a student's debt and ensure students are able to have a hot meal at lunchtime.

Too often, students whose families have low incomes are shamed by school administrators because they can’t afford their lunch. But students and their parents don’t deserve to be shamed because they can’t afford the cost of lunch. Shaming practices are unfair, and they disproportionately impact the Black and Latinx students whose families have low incomes due to systemic economic barriers. This inequity is why we want to clear students’ lunch debt altogether.

Chip in $5 to help eliminate school lunch debt for these students.

Color Of Change members are powerful, and you continue to show up when we need to fight back against the systems that hurt our people. We need you now, more than ever, to help us as we work to ensure that every single day, Black and Latinx students in Minnesota are able to have a hot lunch to eat and won’t be shamed for it.

Chip in $5 to end school lunch debt for Minnesota students.

Until justice is real,
—Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Future, Amanda, Evan, Imani, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

“Minnesota school district apologizes after video shows workers throwing away hot lunches for students with outstanding debt,” The Hill, November 13, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/215049?t=10&akid=39296%2E4731121%2EjgQVNN
“Warwick School Committee approves policy ending ‘lunch shaming,’” WPRI.com, May 15, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/135889?t=12&akid=39296%2E4731121%2EjgQVNN
“Officials, advocates push for Minnesota law to keep students from being denied diplomas over school lunch debts,” Star Tribune, May 10, 2019, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/135890?t=14&akid=39296%2E4731121%2EjgQVNN

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