Driven by our values, we continue to climb
On a daily basis the actions of the new administration threaten our identities and ideals and challenge our faith in the law.
Though the administration has changed, our values have not. Our resolve to continue to fight for children who are overpoliced, surveilled, separated from their families, and incarcerated has not diminished.
While we have yet to see how this administration will treat youth in the family policing, juvenile and criminal legal systems, we know that the tides have shifted in the constitution’s power to protect the rights of individuals. Notwithstanding, we will continue to work alongside our community of youth and families to reduce the harm children experience when they are in state systems and toward the ultimate abolition of these harmful systems.
The principles that guide our legal advocacy are justice and equity. State systems that tear children from their homes historically and perpetually target Black and Brown families. Likewise, the legal system disproportionately punishes Black and Brown youth in an abusive, hyper-punitive youth corrections system. We cannot separate youth justice from racial justice.
In addition to the investment Juvenile Law Center has made in advocating for racial justice in our legal and policy work, we also work to ensure equity in our organizational operations. As a mission-driven organization, our internal values must be in service of our external goals. This will not be compromised.
Our strength relies on the individual perspectives we bring to our work. We value each member of our team and the unique expertise and lived experiences they bring to their role. We approach our work with one another with open-mindedness, growth, and the spirit of collaboration. Our policies are designed to ensure equity and inclusiveness while also promoting balance and wellbeing. And while we recognize the inherent power structures in our office and in the broader field, we approach each other and our work with a shared vision and hold ourselves to high standards to achieve our goals.
Over the last few weeks, we have seen individuals and institutions capitulate to the anti-constitutional and likely illegal whims and policies coming from Washington. But, consistent with our values, we hold true to who we are. And I call upon leaders in this space and in philanthropy to do the same.
This is a particularly challenging moment to be taking the helm as a woman of color – and the first nonwhite leader in Juvenile Law Center’s history. While I celebrate this moment, I worry about the impact my leadership will have on the organization – whether BIPOC leaders of nonprofits are at greater risk of being targeted by the administration, and whether funders will fear investment in building up leaders like me. These were not the challenges I anticipated.
I cannot separate who I am from the work I do just as we cannot separate the harm children experience from the racial impact of these state systems. This work is hard and will continue to get harder. Keeping children safe from state-imposed harm is an uphill battle. And we will continue to climb.
