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New Orleans Coalition Pushes for Child Care Measure with Multigenerational Effect
In February, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. awarded a $5 million Advancing Cities prize to the NOLA C.A.R.E.S. coalition (New Orleans Louisiana Creating Access, Resources and Equity for Success) to help child care workers and to expand access to affordable childcare. “This is one issue that everybody gets,” says Erika Wright, the bank’s vice president of global philanthropy. “People feel this acutely. Families are struggling, and the ripple effects impairs our economy’s ability to function.”
What We Learned: Kansas City Equity in Schools Cohort 2021
In partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Beloved Community launched our inaugural Equity in Schools (EIS) Kansas City Cohort in January of 2021. We were joined by eight participating organizations, 4 large districts and 4 charter networks; these organizations include: Shawnee Mission School District, Liberty Public Schools, Blue Valley Schools, Lee’s Summit R-7, Academy for the Integrated Arts, Brookside Charter, USD 232, and Citizens of the World Charter School.
Beloved Community Names Lesley Brown Rawlings Vice President of Strategy
Sustainable equity is a very real possibility that we can achieve with intentional commitments, policy decisions, investments and practices. What holds us back from my vision is lack of will and lack of knowledge.
We Are Beloved
The beloved community is more than just our team and our organization. The beloved community is a global vision in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. As a radical concept shared by millions of people over the course of generations, we realized it was necessary to define what the Beloved Community meant for us. What makes us Beloved Community?
Exposure Therapy for Allies
One of my favorite rituals at Beloved Community is starting each meeting with a warm welcome. It’s a way to connect with one another in a virtual space and sometimes to connect with yourself as you share personal anecdotes or fond memories. Our team’s latest warm welcome question sure put me in a nostalgic mood: “Who is a TV character that you identified with at a young age?”
Decentering Mythology & Consumerism.
Thanksgiving itself is part of American mythology. As a child, you may have heard this story, one centered on white kindness and “pilgrims and indians” gathered together in harmony over dinner. However, the real history of the holiday, like much of this country’s past, describes the violence of white supremacy and colonization.
National Native American Heritage Month: Centering African-Native Americans.
November is National Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, a time to learn and reflect on the original inhabitants of this continent. Owing no doubt to my own ethnic heritage and work (I am a Louisiana Creole and a member of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation) I’d like to reflect on persons who are of both African and Native American ancestry.
Veterans Day: Dreams Deferred for Black Soldiers.
I know three things about my grandpa Joe: he was in the Navy, he was a chef, and he’s the reason I was born in San Diego instead of Mamou. He died when I was barely able to walk, but my mom has a black and white picture of him hanging above her fireplace. It’s strange having never seen him in color.
Diwali 2021: Celebrating The Festival of Lights.
Every year, Hindus across the world come together to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, in October or November. The word Diwali (pronounced deh-vah-lee) originates from the Sanskrit word Deepavali which means “row of lights.” Diwali is widely celebrated in India, even amongst other religious groups such as Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism.
Dia de Los Muertos 2021: How are We Honoring Our Loved Ones This Year?
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) takes place at the beginning of November every year and is a celebration, particularly for the people in Mexico and Central America and their descendants. It is a day reserved for celebrating the lives of those dearly departed family members, and welcoming their return from the spirit world through an altar.