"Education "remains" the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Over the summer, the world was been rocked with protests following the tragic and brutal deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many more that came before them (and tragically also since). Some people’s eyes were opened in ways that they may not been in the past. Corporations offered up statements and acts of support for the first time and Juneteenth is becoming a holiday to reflect and learn for many. Something feels different this time. My impression from some Black community members I talked to was that this has both been heartbreaking (Why did it take so many deaths?) and hopeful (Maybe real change is coming this time.)
Meanwhile, I reflected on how my family and our work can contribute to creating a more equitable world. As I explained to my daughter Leyla during one of our many difficult conversations, I founded Open Hearts Big Dreams to try to equalize opportunities for kids in Ethiopia (her birth country) with kids growing up in the US. The world is horribly unfair and unjust in so many ways that the pandemic and these protests have laid bare. Who has access to information and education often determines unfairly who gets to DREAM BIG.
So what can we do? What should we do? I am a person of concrete action, thoughtful planning, and measurable results. I want to see agendas created, prioritized and then moved forward to completion quickly. I saw two hashtags that resonated with me and the work we are doing: #BlackStoriesMatter and #BlackLiteracyMatters. Nelson Mandela said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” These words give me hope and sharpen my focus on our purpose: to empower children through education. Empowered children can change the fate of a community, a country and a globe. That is a purpose worth fighting for through a pandemic, civil unrest, and whatever else 2020 holds in store.
Kids don’t automatically hate those who are different; hate must be taught. They can also be taught to fight against injustice. Kids develop a deeper connection with books when they see themselves represented in what they read. Diverse characters help children build empathy and tolerance of natural differences. As we achieved the amazing publishing milestone of 100 books (bilingual in three different Ethiopian languages + English), we are honored to contribute to creating more Black stories, improving Black literacy, and promoting Black history and culture. Leyla shares my desire to do something immediate and concrete to try to "fix things.” We both found it comforting to look at what we had done and what we have planned, for both literacy and innovation. These efforts, supported by hundreds of people with big hearts for kids, are contributing positively.
We know there is so much more to do and really big changes need to happen now. We are committed to standing by those pushing for equity and to doing our part to create the world as it should be, one book and one kid at a time. Thank you for all your generous and steady encouragement through it all. We couldn’t do it without you. #WeAreInThisAllTogether
A version of this post was previously published in the Open Hearts Big Dreams Newsletter: https://openheartsbigdreams.org/what-we-do/newsletter/ You can sign up to receive here: https://eepurl.com/c8zhuX
I share thoughts and resources for leadership, negotiation, innovation and social entrepreneurship at: https://ellenoreangelidis.com/ You can also find me on Twitter: ellenorea, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LEAD-LLC-Lead-Empower-Activate-Dream-Ellenore-Angelidis-121749049220884/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ellenore_angelidis/
I write more on Working Mother, Mom, Mayhem, Missions and More, Adoptive Families Circle, Melting Pot Family, and my personal blogs: Balancing Motherhood and Career and Ethiopian Ties.