Take A Deep Breath — And Keep Fighting
Dear Riley’s Way Community,
We are struggling with the words to match this moment. The United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — the landmark 1973 ruling that ensured the constitutional right to abortion — has left many of us, including our young leaders, angry, heartbroken, scared — and demanding justice.
2020 Riley’s Way Call For Kindness Fellows Olivia Stone & Grace Dana, founders of Confident, Healthy Women powerfully shared in their recent Instagram post: “To see human rights stripped away from more than half of Americans is appalling…There is a lot to be done, so we must find the courage to keep working and advocating for reproductive rights and gender equality in this country…Take a deep breath and keep fighting.”
We recognize this may be a sensitive and even polarizing topic for some, and many have deeply held personal beliefs on the issue. However, as the country grapples with vanishing constitutional protections on reproductive rights, we also recognize this historic hit to our democracy comes with diminished public trust in government among Americans across racial, ethnic, age, ability, and socioeconomic lines.
While rights have been drastically changed impacting every single person in this country in some shape or form, all pregnant people will not be affected equally. Those hardest hit by the dismantling of the almost 50-year-old established law will be Indigenous, Black, and brown people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, low-income women, and millions of underserved groups as well as those forced to live at the margins of society.
We need kind leaders in the forefront more than ever. Being a kind leader does not mean sitting quietly in the face of injustice or watching people’s human rights stripped away. Being a kind leader means standing up for others, even when it does not directly affect you, and especially when it is not easy. Empathy is core to our values at Riley’s Way, and means putting yourself in others’ shoes to create a more equitable and kind world. Being a leader in this moment means finding hope within yourself and giving that hope to others so we can take collective action. We are here to connect, support, and uplift young people to do just that.
Undoubtedly, the US Supreme Court’s official opinion will deepen already-existing fractures in this fragile democracy and limit the freedom and decision-making abilities of many seeking autonomy over their lives. Now, more than ever, finding time to prioritize self-care, kindness, and empathy in these divisive and uncertain times remains increasingly important.
Though Roe v. Wade is probably the most high-profile ruling, the future of same sex marriage, interracial marriage, and other basic civil rights are also being called into question. Furthermore, a bevy of decisions rendered by the nation’s highest court in recent days centers on critical topics such as gun control and Miranda rights.
To illustrate, the Supreme Court ruled last Thursday, June 23, that suspects may not sue officers who fail to inform them of their right to remain silent for damages, a decision that will disproportionately affect Black and brown Americans.
Regarding The Second Amendment, the US Supreme Court struck down a New York gun law enacted over a hundred years ago that placed restrictive measures on carrying a concealed handgun outside of the home. This, at a time when gun violence, including mass shootings in schools, grocery stores, movie theaters, places of worship, and beyond, are on the rise.
At Riley’s Way, the safety and wellbeing of our young leaders, staff, and our wider community must be prioritized. We will continue to seek, create, and build a world where the pursuit of equity and justice remains at the core. We will continue to fight for a world that uplifts those impacted by harmful policies — and support our young leaders who are taking action everyday in their communities to transform the world in which we live.
One more thing we know for sure is this: we will continue lighting the path toward a more beautiful version of our world, one that prioritizes kindness, empathy, and inclusivity.
For us, this is the only way forward.
In Community,
Your friends at Riley’s Way
Here are four things you can do right now to stay informed and take action:
STAY INFORMED:
- About six-in-ten Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases
- Miranda rights, abortion, Second Amendment: These are the cases the Supreme Court ruled on this week with major implications
- Tracking where abortion laws stand in every state
SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:
FOLLOW ORGANIZATIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND TAKE ACTION:
- Follow 2020 Call For Kindness Project Winner Confident, Healthy Women on Instagram (@confidenthealthywomen) for a list of resources to take action and get help, if needed.
- Check 2021 Riley’s Way Call For Kindness Partner DoSomething.org’s website for a host of campaigns and actions you can take to better our world.
VOTE:
- Register to Vote in local, midterm and presidential elections — your vote matters.
- Riley’s Way Partner 18BY.VOTE shares in their slogan, “If you’ll be 18 by the next election, you can vote. Make your voice heard. When we vote, we count.”
“For the New Year, 1981”
By Denise Levertov
I have a small grain of hope —
one small crystal that gleams
clear colors out of transparency.
I need more.
I break off a fragment
to send you.
Please take
this grain of a grain of hope
so that mine won’t shrink.
Please share your fragment
so that yours will grow.
Only so, by division,
will hope increase,
like a clump of irises, which will cease to flower
unless you distribute
the clustered roots, unlikely source —
clumsy and earth-covered —
of grace.
