Kids Forward staff is angry, devastated, and distraught by the killing of George Floyd, another victim of brutality, in a long line of callous and violent disregard for Black lives in this country, in our state, and in our home city of Madison, Wisconsin. The perpetrator of this brutality is white supremacy and the extraordinarily rigid institutions, systems, and structures rooted in racism.

We will use this moment to listen, learn, and reflect. We will continue to work in concert with members of the Black community to deconstruct oppressive institutions and build a new, more equitable future through transformative change. We remain committed to pursuing advocacy through the lens of anti-racism that seeks to end the massive economic, educational, health, and community injustices that persist.

We renew our commitment to the pursuit of an aggressive agenda that places justice at its core, centers on folks of color, and reaches those in greatest need. We will work to ensure that the voices of those most marginalized and furthest from opportunity are heeded and heard as we work with community organizations across the state to best inform our policy advocacy.

Most importantly, this moment requires all of us to not sit idly by and wait for someone else to come to the rescue of this nation, our state, and our city. We all must fully engage in altering the course of our collective future – toward a new future absent of violence and oppression and injustice. We can do this by listening, learning, reflecting, supporting, creating space, stepping back, stepping forward, and stepping into the fight.