AISJ and the Movement for Black Lives
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Valuing Black lives is certainly not new for Alabama Institute for Social Justice (AISJ), which has a long history of engaging at the grassroots level to promote this concept. Since our origination in 1972 as the Federation of Community-Controlled Centers of Alabama for Child Care, Inc.. later becoming FOCAL (Federation of Child Care Centers of Alabama), this organization has worked to protect, nurture, and elevate those from marginalized communities. For nearly 50 years, this fundamental belief is what has guided our resolve that, irrefutably, Black Lives Matter. And today, as we strive to address a number of converging issues, our efforts are all the more relevant.
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In the true-to-form nature of what is often typical in the lives of Black people, we are in a season where we must collectively address a number of dire issues simultaneously. From the devastation being experienced by many child care providers across the state, to the economic impact resulting in families struggling to meet basic needs, we are all muddling through unprecedented times. The effect of COVID-19 on marginalized communities has been catastrophic. Black people are testing positive and dying at alarming rates. Furthermore, the egregious and horrific killings of unarmed Black men, including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, have rightfully ignited mass protests around the world. The accumulation of it all has felt overwhelming for an organization with a mission like ours.
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However, as the great Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. once said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.” It has been in that spirit that we have sustained our own hope and also been inspired by the emergence of new opportunities and alliances. One such partnership has been with the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), which has allowed us to further augment our capacity as well as advance solidarity. M4BL is an ecosystem of individuals and organizations creating a shared vision and policy agenda to win rights, recognition, and resources for Black people. In doing so, the movement makes it possible for Blacks, and therefore everyone, to live healthy and fruitful lives.
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The explosion of the aforementioned protests is in response to the pattern of killings, piled onto the deadly impacts of COVID-19 and four years of divisive leadership. As we embark on Juneteenth, which marks the emancipation of the last remaining slaves in the Confederacy, it remains important that we honor the significance of this day not simply as a celebratory occasion of jubilation, but as an additional opportunity to highlight the continued need for true freedom for Black people in America.
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Please join us throughout the Juneteenth weekend, June 19-21, to show your power as part of #SixNineteen (
www.sixnineteen.com
) by following our social media platforms and sharing our messages and posts to elevate the critical message to DEFEND. BLACK. LIVES. If we are ever to create much-needed systemic change, now is the time. This is the moment. Together, we can!
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