James Scurlock matters.
George Floyd matters.
Ahmaud Arbery matters.
Breonna Taylor matters.
Black Kids Matter.
Defending Potential. That is what we do at Big Brothers Big Sisters every day. Our staff and volunteers work with our youth to defend their potential. We partner with parents/guardians to defend their child’s potential. Right now, that is both more critical and more challenging than ever. What people of color are experiencing is not new. Yet, as we experience the intersection of a global pandemic and violence towards Black and Brown people, Black men, in particular, I am hearing voices and testimony from those who were afraid to speak out in the past. This gives me hope that we will take this as an opportunity to fix our broken systems. Let this be an opportunity for open, honest, and transparent dialogue and positive action.
As CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands and as a Big Sister, I pledge that I will not sit by and silently watch as racism plays out in our community and endangers our Littles and their families. I make this commitment knowing I come from a place of inherent privilege and will have to work every day to listen, educate myself, humble myself, and question my assumptions. That work is nothing compared to the work of parents of Black and Brown babies who have to toil tirelessly at teaching their kids how to safely navigate a world in which they are often viewed as a threat.
How can I or my staff honestly look our Littles in the face and tell them that if they make the right choices they will live safe, happy, and successful lives? Our youth see what is happening in Omaha and across the country and they know what it means for them. They live with that knowledge with every breath they take.
As an agency we have been having tough conversations about the issues our Black and Brown youth face for a very long time. We will continue having those conversations and equipping our mentors to have these conversations but more than that we will work to be a part of the solution. We will take the lead from our partners, leaders in anti-racist work, and our youth and families. We have work to do, together, with our community.
We stand with you.
Nichole Turgeon
President/CEO and Big Sister
