The Monterey Park Shooting, a Letter of Support from Jumpstart’s CEO
To our Jumpstart community –
It was supposed to be a joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year, but, instead, the community of Monterey Park, CA – home to one of the largest Asian American and Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders communities in America – was terrorized by the horror of yet another mass shooting.
We are devastated by this latest act of senseless violence and our hearts go out to the victims, their families, the entire community of Monterey Park, and our Asian American community here at Jumpstart. We stand with you, and we reiterate, once again, that hate and violence have no place in our organizations and communities.
Yesterday my family visited the new memorial in Boston, The Embrace, that honors Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr. Engraved next to the memorial is this quote by Coretta Scott King: “Love is such a powerful force. It’s there for everyone to embrace – that kind of unconditional love for all of humankind. That is the kind of love that impels people to go into the community and try to change conditions for others, to take risks for what they believe in.”
As demonstrated by this weekend’s horrific shooting, this work is not done. So as an organization that centers community, joy, and social justice among our core values, we will continue to “embrace love” while speaking out and standing with the Asian American and Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders communities in America to “change conditions” and create a more equitable society.
Please take care of yourselves today and do what you need to feel safe. Our EAP is available to all staff and their families.
With a heavy heart
Naila Bolus
Chief Executive Officer, Jumpstart for Young Children
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.
