How we honor Juneteenth at Jumpstart
As we celebrate Juneteenth and the anniversary of the end of legalized slavery in the US, we are reminded of slavery’s impact on the past and present of our country. At Jumpstart, we work with purpose towards educational equity for young children, which requires correcting inequities initially caused by slavery and maintained through lasting and ongoing systemic racism.
The impact of generations of slavery and subsequent oppression of Black Americans is clear and much has been written on the racial wealth and income disparities in the United States. White Americans, on average, earn and have more money than Black Americans and the net wealth of the average Black family is just one tenth that of the average white family. This wealth gap can partly be attributed to many of the roles traditionally held by Black people, especially Black women, including caregiving and early education, being consistently devalued. These roles in particular are drastically underpaid, with many states not paying a living wage to early childhood educators. Even with these low wages throughout the sector, Black childcare providers on average still earn less per hour than their white counterparts.
It does not have to be this way. Through our deep commitment to training, supporting, and advocating for early care and education workers, Jumpstart aims to build a more equitable early care and education ecosystem where all caregivers and educators can thrive.
Together, we can honor Juneteenth by working to dismantle and counter the lasting effects of slavery, ensuring a better future for our children and the adults that do the important work to support them.
Be sure to check out our book recommendation: Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper.
With gratitude,
Chief Executive Officer, Jumpstart for Young Children
ABOUT JUMPSTART FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
For 30 years, Jumpstart has been fueled by the belief that providing high-quality educational opportunities to all young children prepares them for academic and economic success later in life. Jumpstart advances equitable learning outcomes for young children by recruiting and supporting caring adults to deliver high-quality programming and drive systems change through teaching, advocacy, and leadership. Jumpstart has trained more than 60,000 college students and community volunteers, preparing over 140,000 children for kindergarten success. Jumpstart’s program is replicated across the country in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at jstart.org.
