Ok. Let's go: Our Safe Grownups toolkit

deep midwinter, Baby Beluga, and the good, hard work

Dear friends,

Well, my brain is a little bit on fire. Anyone else? We've hit the rangey part of winter, and it's been a devastating few weeks for children's rights. And also, all the rest. The kids in my life are losing teeth. They're seeing snow for the first time. They're bonding with each other. They're discovering old school hip hop and chapter books. Their bodies are growing and changing. Nothing stops. Sometimes this all feels like synchronicity. Sometimes the juxtaposition feels almost too tender to bear.

Like most of you, I'm doing everything I can to stay engaged, keep it between the mayonnaise and mustard for my family, prepare for work pivots as necessary, get informed, and consider the types of action I'd like to take to defend children, my neighbors, and my community.

So-- it was incredibly cheering to make this Safe Grownups toolkit for you-- a list of allies and comrades for these tough times, and the ones to come. Rather than hoovering up whatever misery our algorithms are serving us, I think we need to NARROW IT DOWN. I suggest that we each choose a handful of organizations that are already doing the good, hard work of supporting core children's' rights, trust them, and throw all our weight behind them. Some core ideas:

• A library with a children's section and kids’ story time programming

• A community fridge or food mutual aid organization that provides delicious, safe, nutritious culturally resonant food with no strings attached.

• An organization that supports queer and trans youth with affirming programming, opportunities for joy and recreation with queer and trans adults,

  and medical and legal defense.

• A local immigrant defense organization with a clear and tested protocol for reporting, identifying, and challenging ICE presence in the community, actively defending against deportations, and providing legal assistance to our immigrant neighbors.

If we can track down each of these groups in our own communities, and engage with them as we are able, we will be connected with allies and mentors. We will get the information we need. I've linked to the corresponding groups in my own area of North Carolina, but I would love to help you find equivalents if you live elsewhere. Just ask in the comments. Feel free to add suggestions for your favorite local groups, too!

Once you have identified these groups, subscribe to their alerts and email lists, follow them on social channels, and let them guide you. Boost their posts and announcements in ways that work for you. If you can, attend their local meetings or trainings. If you have the means, set up a recurring donation, or raise money for them in your networks. Stick with them.

Finally, we deserve good dopamine. I like to follow the work of children's media makers who aren't afraid to stand up for children's rights, and bring the fun and joy with their art. When I play their music and watch their shows with my kids, I feel their solidarity, and it gives me a boost. Raffi, Kaitlin Becker (you might know her as Meekah on Blippi), Sonia de los Santos, and Dhonielle Clayton are all favorites in my house.

This is a really hard and scary time. We deserve joy, but that's hard to access when we feel stuck in inaction, so let's get moving. We might need to make bigger decisions soon, and I trust that we will do what is necessary to make sure our circle of love and safety covers as many children as possible. I am with you. Talk soon.

Anna

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Anna Carson DeWitt Photography

annacarsondewittphotography.com

919-475-8548