Given the enormity of the task, the world requires an army of upstanders compiled of unapologetic young heroes like Darnella, Malala, Marley, Robby and Mo’Ne who want to see change in their lifetimes. Dreamline is and will remain devoted to the task of supporting them.
Exactly two weeks ago today a jury in Minneapolis found Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George Floyd. The world breathed a sigh of relief, and then took a breath in to make the much needed statements about what must come next. Our inboxes were filled with articles and statements in response to the guilty verdict. They resonated with our own thoughts and feelings, and especially one from the Head of the Bishop Walker School for Boys in Washington, DC.
Mr. Molena focused on the momentous work that lies ahead for all of us AND on the spark that led us to this historic moment–the video shared around the world by Darnella Frazier. She is the teenager who, in Mr. Molena’s words, had the “awareness and courage” to take and share the video that made justice possible. And justice for George Floyd is justice for humanity.
Daniella’s awareness and courage resonate in these dreams from young people… just a few of the many many examples we have the privilege to amplify through Dreamline.
“…there will be justice for 400 years of racism.”
–a fifteen-year-old in our Martin Luther King Day program with the African American Museum in Philadelphia.
“Every Body is Equal.”
–an eleven-year old from Prince George, Virginia.
“… #RIP George Floyd.”
–a fourteen-year-old from Cairo, Egypt.
“…I make a world where cops actually give blacks their respect. Where I stood up to a police officer for being racist and where the world is a better place because I did that.”
–a ten-year-old from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In our best iteration of Dreamline, we support students, like Darnella Frazier, to be upstanders not bystanders, in the world they live in. We are here to help them make a systemic change in the world, addressing not only body-wide law enforcement injustice but the overwhelming disparities in common areas of life such as inequities of education, economy, and access to healthcare.
Given the enormity of this task, the world requires an army of upstanders compiled of unapologetic young heroes like Darnella, Malala, Marley, Robby and Mo’Ne who want to see change in their lifetimes. Dreamline is and will remain devoted to the task of supporting them and adding to their numbers.
If we are to empower and help amplify the voices of our youth, we must extend to them every resource available to us. We must help them to trust in their own power and encourage them to embrace the role of lifelong upstanders who will, in time, overturn the tide of systemic injustices plaguing us all.
Yours,
Jeffrey Harlan, Dreamline Founder & Serita Lewis, Dreamline Board of Directors
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