Hello friends,
We’ve been talking about taking on passion projects this summer, about how expressing your voice can make a difference for you and for your community. I wanted to pause for a moment to celebrate the powerful Black and Brown voices we’ve been hearing across our country and around the world. Thank you for the gift of your courageous words.
I want to thank those who, despite ongoing pain, inequality, and injustice, continue to courageously raise their voices and share their stories. Thank you for the strength and honesty of your words. You are giving the world as a whole, and our Inklings community specifically, the gift of wider awareness. I am listening. I am learning on a deeper level what empathy looks like, feels like, and what it requires.
At Young Inklings, we have always celebrated diverse voices. However, we understand that systemic racism and injustice in our society means that far too many voices are never heard. Often the stories we need to hear most, the ones that challenge our blind spots and create space for lasting change have fallen on deaf ears.
We understand that the depth of change required is daunting. Ensuring that all voices are heard, that all people receive justice, equality, and human rights, will take long-term, dedicated effort. We commit to show up for the conversation, to continue to educate ourselves, and to listen with particular care to stories that will light our way forward.
To that end, to all people of color in our community—youth, parents, educators, and artists alike—when and if you would like to share your insight and perspective, I truly would like to hear from you. I want to hear how you are. I want to hear your hopes for the future and consider the ways Inklings can be a part of that change. If you would like to start that conversation with me and with Inklings, you can email us at info@younginklings.org.
When we write and share our stories we learn to look beyond what exists to what’s possible. May we continue in that way to develop a new vision for the days ahead.
With love,
Naomi Kinsman
Executive Director
Society of Young Inklings
