BOSTON – Naila Bolus, CEO of Jumpstart for Young Children, a national organization advancing equitable learning outcomes for all children, released the following statement regarding the upcoming two-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder:
“This week marks two years since George Floyd’s murder set off a national conversation about racial justice, equity, policing and protest, and over one week since ten people were senselessly killed by a white supremacist in a Buffalo supermarket. George Floyd and every victim of racially motivated violence should be alive today. To honor their memories, we recommit to advocating for systemic change that will make our country safe and just for every child and every family.
“We know that in order to advance equitable learning opportunities for all young children, we must address systemic injustices, especially racial, ethnic and socio-economic, that contribute to substantial opportunity gaps for children of color and fuel hate and violence across our nation. At Jumpstart, this means commitment to equity at all levels, from the curriculum we offer in classrooms to our leadership’s pledge to cultivate a trusting workplace, expand unconscious bias education, and develop strategic inclusion and diversity plans that lay a strong foundation for the work to come.
“We will hold on to our vision for a more equitable future and honor the lives of those who will not have a chance to see it.”
ABOUT JUMPSTART FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Jumpstart for Young Children is a national organization based in Boston advancing equitable early learning outcomes for young children in underserved communities through direct service programming and policy advocacy. Jumpstart’s proven evidence-based curriculum serves thousands of children across 15 states and Washington, D.C., and has trained over 60,000 college students and community volunteers to deliver high-quality early childhood education programming. Learn more at jstart.org and follow us on Twitter at @Jumpstartkids.
