Acknowledging and Addressing Racism
A Statement of Support from LifeSmart Youth
We are angered and saddened by the senseless killing of George Floyd. His death is part of a shameful history of brutality that has claimed the lives of too many other people of color.
We stand in support of those around the country calling for real and permanent change to address structural racism. Our mission is to foster successful lives by empowering youth to adopt healthy behaviors. Individual health is supported by community safety, and community safety is undermined by the systems of oppression and racism.
LifeSmart Youth understands that we cannot meet our mission unless we provide equitable and inclusive education. We do not condone racism and stand against it in any form. We pledge to continually expand our understanding of how race affects the work we do and to revise our methods based on this evolving understanding.
Parents, guardians, and other trusted adults can join in this work by raising children to understand racial injustice and giving them the tools to be a positive force for change. To help start the conversation with youth, you might:
Read With Them.
The Brown Bookshelf provides a great list of books for youth written and illustrated by Black authors.
Talk With Them.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture has this helpful guide.
Lead by Example.
University of California Berkley’s Greater Good Magazine has these concrete steps to reduce racial bias.
The youth in your life want to hear from you. Parents, guardians, and other trusted adults might not have all the answers, and sometimes we might feel like we are saying the wrong thing. But, as Ijeoma Oluo explains: