Zero to Thrive Statement Against Police Brutality and Systemic Racism

We at Zero to Thrive stand in solidarity with Black families across the nation, and with our colleagues, families, friends, and communities, in protest against systemic racism, violence and police brutality.  We recognize the long history of racism that was at the foundation of the establishment of our nation, and that perpetuates continued violence against Black families.   We understand that these experiences lay a foundation for the health, education, social, and economic disparities and inequities that lead to present-day profound differences in the experience of the pandemic for people of color, where mortality rates for Black people are at least three times greater than for those of White people; where Black mothers die 3-4 times more often than White mothers giving birth; Black children are about three times more likely to live in poverty than White children; and the list goes on.  In the face of this injustice, past and present, we claim our collective responsibility to contribute to the dismantling of these systems of oppression through careful listening, a commitment to self-reflection that leads to anti-racist action, and through work with our various personal and professional communities that aims to disrupt existing racist structures and promote equitable contexts and outcomes for children and families of color.  

The vision of Zero to Thrive is that from pregnancy through early childhood, all families have the well-being necessary to achieve their full potential.   This means that responsibility for raising healthy, resilient children, and for intergenerational change, rests with all of us.  We are committed to working to uncover and meaningfully address the racism that perpetuates inequities.  We strive for the day when Black mothers and fathers across the nation do not have to live with fear for the lives of the children they nurture and raise, and for a time when all our children and families live in a nation that provides the fertile soil that allows all children to grow and thrive.