“You are needed in this world. You, your body, your mind, and your voice deserve respect from everyone you meet. You deserve to be heard and listened to. Your voice is powerful. It can change the world.”
– Love Letter to Black Children
Children need consistent, loving messages affirming their beauty, their potential, and their worth to know what is possible for them and to fully believe in their innate value. This can be especially true for Black children, who are less likely to see positive, uplifting messages about themselves and their communities in mainstream culture.
With the news being dominated by stories of how Black Americans are being harmed–particularly through acts of anti-Black violence and disproportionate deaths from COVID-19–we were inspired to write a Love Letter to Black Children. It’s a message about love, worth, and power that we want Black children and young people to hear. At Children’s Health Fund, we are passionate about children’s health, and we know that these kinds of messages are essential to children’s wellbeing.
The piece can also act as an uplifting message for Black History Month and an affirmation of what it means to build #BlackFutures where all children feel valued, supported, and loved.
If you are a caregiver, educator, or someone with young people in your life, we hope you share this piece with them. For everyone else, we hope it touches you and moves you to action.