He wore a T-shirt with the words “Children at the Center” tucked underneath a grey and white striped suit. Rev. Starksy Wilson, president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation joined civic leaders, youth and parents for the third annual “Children at the Center” daylong festival and policy engagement held recently at the Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club.
The Deaconess Foundation is a faith-based grant-making organization devoted to the productivity of children’s mental and physical health, along with a healthy living environment.
“This is the first generation of Americans that are not going to do as well as their parents,” Wilson said, after concluding a policy forum with State Treasurer Clint Zweifel.
Wilson said the greatest challenge facing young people today is the social stigma.
“They’re still not being protected by the criminal justice system, still don’t have jobs waiting on them, and there are still prejudices against them,” Wilson said.
To improve child development and child wellbeing, the foundation announced more than $600,000 for 2016 grant recipients. Throughout the year, organizations that correlate with the foundation’s mission and vision can apply and may be eligible for the Deaconess Small Grants up to $5,000.
Preceding the policy forum, participants and attendants were exposed to a room filled with tables of non-profit organizations and activist groups, including Youth Undoing Institutional Racism (YUIR) project.
Established by the American Friends Service Committee, the YUIR meets every Saturday to analyze institutional racism, engaging the younger generation to partake in anti-racism training at the end of July for teens and adults, ages 14 through 23, in the Saint Louis area.
Peace Education Program Director Joshua Saleem said the focus of YUIR is improving the education system that is the “foot” of oppression in the communities’ with children of color.
Saleem said the group has created a list of demands that they want to see school districts adopt. They include “changing the handbook, restoring justices to ending suspensions and expulsions, and making their curriculum more Africa-centered,” said Saleem.
For more information on YUIR, contact Joshua Saleem at 314-932-5994 or JSaleem@afsc.org.
As part of a panel for child advocacy, Erin Brower, chairman of the Board of Directors for Raised Your Hands for Kids, discussed their initiative for the November 2016 ballot. The constitutional amendment pushes for a 60-cent tax increase per cigarette pack, gradually introducing a 15-cent tax over the course of four years, from 2017-2020.
Having the lowest tobacco tax in the nation, Missouri has not raised its cigarette tax since 1993.
“Missourians really don’t like raising taxes,” said Brower.
The new tax funds would go towards strengthening early childhood health and education for Missouri children from birth to age five.
Wilson called for grant-making entities to make stronger stands if they want to make a difference.
“The system requires radical transformation,” said Wilson, “by people who are deeply rooted to see business done differently.”
