I'm tired of hearing POCs (people of color) use institutionalized racism as a cop out for why they do not exercise their right to vote. Like they've been "woke AF" forever and now they see the Matrix for what it is and they are going to just watch it all burn from the sidelines as they sip their tea... PEOPLE abstinence-only awareness does not work without a conscious educational understanding of what you're boycotting. It hasn't worked for sex-ed, or for drug use and the war on drugs... why would you think it would work for civic participation.
The thing is, participation in our system is what makes the system work. If the system is broken, it's because the wrong people are behind the steering wheel driving us to god knows where. It's our responsibility to get the right people in the driverseat. Sorry but protesting alone won't make it work. It's great for raising awareness, like the Ice Bucket Challenge (raised awareness and got people to donate LOTS to ALS research), but ultimately it, like protesting, was only a catalyst to move people toward change. Protesting isn't sustainable because once the shock value wears off, the empathy level of the general population (the majority of people not experiencing your angst and pain points) drops.
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My daughters play sports. I never really played on serious teams outside of school as an elementary kid growing up. We really couldn't afford it. And back in the 90s that wasn’t as big of a thing as it is now. So I guess I didn’t miss too much. Although I used to believe that playing club sports would probably have made me an even better athlete than I was. (Granted, I ended up being a three sport varsity athlete for 11 of 12 division three college seasons and earning first team all league honors in all three). So maybe I could have been better but I'm glad I ended where I did.
That aside, I put my kids into club sports because why not. My 8 year old made the third grade select team. Like most clubs teams, they have many levels and many grade levels (primarily to keep the club alive and floating with a funnel of talent). We arrived during the transition between the older athletes (tweens and teens) and my daughter's team. The tweens and teens stood and watched as the younger athletes were warming up. Some of them shared giggles and awwws and "Remember when...". As the older girls began getting into their car pools, one girl yelled out "Enjoy it girls, while it's still fun". Then she disappeared into the suburban caravan of Range Rovers, Escalades, and Minivans. At first thought, "How dare she... I mean she's ruining it for them. What if my daughter heard that and ask me about it later?”. But then I thought "Oh my god, that's real. That's real talk".
We had the wonderful opportunity to jump into "The Chloe Pink & Brooklyn Doodle & Dream Coloring Book". Author Sharna Fulton walks each reader through her own personalized, journey of self discovery and empowerment with the help of a dynamic 7 year old named Chloe Pink. My girls really got a kick out of the fact that they too were authors of their own story and eagerly colored the pages and filled out the prompts line by line.
Since raising daughters can have its challenges of building confidence; learning how to be a great friend to others; and teaching them how to be amazing to themselves... I'm always on the lookout for great books with a solid and positive message. I was pleasantly surprised with how well this book accomplishes these challenges (and others) in a thoughtful and age appropriate way. The Chloe Pink & Brooklyn Doodle and Dream Coloring Book is perfect for a couple afternoons of checking in with your daughter or young girl you mentor. It's also a great addition to any girls empowerment group, girl scout troop meeting, or classroom curriculum. Dream it! Do it! Be Happy!
Learn more about Chloe Pink at www.chloepink.com. You can find Chloe Pink books on Amazon! |
I'm a former teacher and former college athlete, currently working to make life more equitable for all people. My mission is to get parents to partner with their child's teacher.
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