News
News articles are now a newsletter! 📧
April 9, 2024
The Kids For Justice podcast has been on a break for a while and we will be releasing more content soon. Adittionaly, we now have a newsletter where we'll post articles like these but in an email form with other updates from the podcast and added resources for each episode if you want to learn more. You'll still be able to see new articles here. Subscribe now!Â
New Kids Album by The Alphabet Rockers, “The Movement” 🎧
September 16, 2022
The new brilliant album by three-time Grammy®-nominees (update: now Grammy® winners!) the Alphabet Rockers, The Movement is out now! "The Movement," which showcases upbeat tracks about restorative justice, Juneteenth, and how to create community by having each others' backs." as said in the NPR interview with Chloe Veltman, NPR Weekend Edition. This is my new fav so if you want to learn more about social justice through hip-hop for kids then listen to it wherever you stream music!
Kids Create and Sell, Support a Cause 🇺🇦Â
May 21, 2022
An easy way to support a cause you care about is to have a sale. Think of an item that you can make that somebody will want to buy: have a bake sale or a lemonade stand, decorate blank cards, create a graphic novel or comic that you copy, or write a book of poetry. You can also offer a service like mowing lawns, pulling weeds, shredding documents, tutoring, etc. Give all the proceeds to an organization that supports a cause you care about. For some examples of organizations to donate to, check out our kid lesson, "How To Organize”.
An eight-year-old kid made bracelets and sold them. She gave all of the proceeds to an organization supporting Ukrainians under attack by Russia. This kid didn’t sell just locally, she shipped the bracelets. By selling online, the selling process was more manageable and didn’t involve an increased risk of Covid-19.
A five-year-old designed t-shirts and sold them, also to support Ukrainians., with the help of their preschool. As this kid showed, you don’t have to act alone. Connect with your school or others in your community to help you. The fundraiser of the preschool ordered the shirts from a t-shirt-making company in bulk and then shipped them individually as people bought them. Consider asking suppliers if their shirts are fair trade or union made. That way, the workers will be paid and treated fairly. You can also use a company like Bonfire. They ship the shirts themselves, so it is less work.Â
One last way to create and sell is by having a party with friends. Collect some containers - either glass jars, empty coffee cans, or empty pringle containers. Gather art supplies (glue, construction paper, stickers, markers, glitter). Then, get your friends together (maybe outside to be Covid-19 safe) and decorate them. Instruct everyone to collect old coins in their container with their families. Then, have a date where everyone comes back together to count how much you raised. You or another volunteer can bring the coins to an organization of your choice. Either decide in advance or give everyone a ballot with a couple of options and vote on what organization you want to support.
Artivism! 🎨
March 28, 2022
We have been working on a project that challenges ableism. The project was inspired by #cripritual and Margeaux Feldman. #cripritual is a radically accessible art show that explores how disabled people create rituals to challenge ableism. Margeaux's installation of empowering affirmations was displayed there. This inspired us to send an affirmation of power to friends, family, and community members with disabilities. "I am powerful" is such an important affirmation, according to Debra, since ableism and other systemic oppressions are silencing and leaving us behind (for example, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic).
If you are inspired to try to make a version of your own, all you need for this fun craft are blank postcards, glue, scissors, this handy printout, and a thrown-away book or magazine filled with powerful photos.Â
We used the book "Why We March: Signs of Protest and Hope" that we found at a garage sale. The printout includes what we printed out and pasted into the postcard. It has a quote that was used in a class taught by Rabbi Elliot Kukla that Debra attended.Â
Below are some examples of what we did, before we addressed the postcards and put them in the mail.Â
Plan to Close Oakland Schools 🏫
February 9, 2022Â
Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is trying to close and merge up to 15 schools quickly. Many of these are neighborhood schools that serve predominately Black and Latinx kids. The community is protesting and holding rallies in front of school board members' homes. Two teachers are holding hunger strikes. School staff staged walkouts. Families have held sickouts.
OUSD struggles with declining enrollments, financial deficits, and older buildings that need maintenance. Wealthier families abandon public schools to attend better-funded private schools. Schools in wealthier neighborhoods get supplemental income from parents who attend the school instead of fighting to increase school funding.Â
The lack of funding for OUSD is at the heart of defunding the police movement. If Oakland spent less of its budget on police, it could pay more for schools.