Statement of Solidarity

Art by Larissa Marantz

We, the Soaring ’20s Picture Book Collective, are united with the Black Lives Matter Movement. 

We grieve with you. We are outraged with you. We understand that words and actions are required to fight with you.

Because we are a diverse group of creators, we directly state that our nonBlack and white members have the responsibility to eradicate police brutality and systemic racism first and foremost. Those of us with privilege will use their voices and resources to support, defend, and protect the human rights of the Black community.  

We demand the prosecution of the police officers who murdered George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless others. We demand the prosecution of ex-police officer Travis McMichael and his son Gregory McMichael for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.

We demand that the lives of freedom fighters, the protestors who are risking their lives and livelihoods to rise up against police brutality and systemic racism and oppression, are respected and protected.

We pledge to: 

  • Listen to Black voices.

  • Speak up and fight against anti-blackness in our own families and our own communities of color.

  • Amplify Black creators by promoting their works.

  • Examine and be accountable for our own beliefs and actions, including how we benefit from systemic racism.

  • Educate ourselves about the brutal systemic racism Black communities have experienced for generations so that we can work for justice and become strong allies with the Black community.

  • Educate ourselves about the historic accomplishments and achievements of the Black community that have been ignored and erased.

  • Be present for Black joy. Celebrate Black accomplishments. 

As parents, we will:

  • Talk with our children about racism, white privilege, and the role of informed, engaged citizens to make their voices heard and hold our government accountable. We will educate our children with #ownvoices literature and resources.

  • Examine and be accountable for our own beliefs around racism, white privilege, and white fragility.

  • Ensure our children have access to and are enriched and empowered by books by and about people of color and specifically, Black people, to study the history of racism in the United States and the history of Black resistance and perseverance. We will provide our children with a full-range of works by BIPOC that represents a wide range of experiences by BIPOC—not just tragedies—and a full range of genres.

  • Encourage our children’s schools to be actively antiracist.

  • Work with our families to create change. These actions may include 

    • protesting, 

    • signing petitions, 

    • contacting legislators, 

    • writing letters to the editor of newspapers, 

    • donating money to causes supporting Black Lives Matter, and

    • voting in federal, state, and local elections, and making informed choices.

As educators, we will:

As writers, we will:

  • Read, review, and promote books by Black creators,

  • Actively support the inclusion of marginalized voices on panels at children’s book conferences,

  • Only attend conferences that create safe spaces for the Black community,

  • Have sensitivity readers to ensure our work is antiracist,

  • Work for full inclusion in the publishing community using whatever resources we have at our disposal.

                                                            

Words without action are performative and unacceptable.

Please join us in our fight against systemic racism and oppression with action. These actions must permeate our daily lives and guide our paths forward now and for the rest of our lives to save Black lives and to preserve the Black community’s human right to life with liberty and happiness. We have created a living document with full awareness of its insufficiency and vow to revisit and update it. 

Resources

Organizations

Reading lists for kids

Reading list for adults

Articles

Documentaries

Websites

Mental Health Resources

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