Our Commitment to Anti-Racism

We are committed to creating a safe space for all children to thrive and live emotionally healthy lives.

Child drawing with pack of crayons

Racism is toxic to children and their emotional health. Research shows a strong association between experiences of racism and children struggling with anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues, along with a host of other poor health outcomes. Children of color frequently have less access to mental health care and are more often placed on strong psychotropic medications with severe side-effects, as compared to their white peers.

As an organization committed to helping children lead emotionally healthy lives, it is our duty to not only condemn, but also confront the racism that creates such disparity in the mental and emotional health of children of color. We must speak out and act to challenge the systems that have made black children more likely to experience negative health outcomes, and less likely to receive needed help.

At Lucy Daniels Center, we will continue to stand for the emotional health of every child, and to us, that means actively seeking to challenge our own implicit biases, listening well to the lived experiences of people of color, and using our voices to defend against the pervasive and destructive impact of racism in our community and society.

Lucy Daniels Center Anti-Racism Task Force

The Anti-Racism Task Force at Lucy Daniels Center first convened in June, 2020 and is comprised of Lucy Daniels Center staff members. The group was created in response to national conversations about dismantling racism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since its inception, the Task Force has met once per month and has worked to facilitate anti-racism education and practices within the organization.

The group’s first task was to select a local anti-racism consultant and facilitator to work with Lucy Daniels Center staff in order to deepen the center’s anti-racism analysis. The Task Force is currently working on providing ongoing anti-racism learning opportunities for staff, creating more inclusive hiring practices and work culture within our center, and ensuring accountability related to all organizational policies and practices. The group is committed to being open and responsive to emergent needs of the organization and broader community. The task force is open to all LDC employees and is collectively run by group members.