Awareness Archives

September 13, 2018 By Lori Beth Dunlap

An End to Expulsions, Detentions, and Suspensions

We’re so proud of Lori Beth Dunlap for speaking to issues she’s witnessed within our community and demanding action to help shape a better future for our young people – one that provides hope, health, and connection to the youth of our future.

Good evening Dr. Joseph, members of the board…

Thank you for the opportunity to speak briefly this evening…My name is Lori Beth Dunlap and I am the STARS counselor at Buena Vista Enhanced Option Elementary School. This is my third year at Buena Vista, and to say I love what I do is an understatement, I consider it a privilege J A significant part of my role in the school is to build relationships with scholars, their families, teachers, staff and administrators in order to provide restorative approaches to addressing behavioral issues that impede the learning process. I do this through behavioral crisis support, as well as individual and group counseling sessions…and I see and hear the trauma that many of our scholars carry with them into the building on a daily basis. The task of keeping ALL of our scholars physically, mentally and emotionally safe in our schools cannot solely fall on the already heavily burdened shoulders of our teachers and administrators- counseling services offered in the school setting are a vital part of the success of our scholars academically, socially AND emotionally. I have seen firsthand how offering these services not only positively impacts the child and their ability to learn but changes the classroom and school environment at large for the better as well.

In my almost 11 years as a social work professional, I’ve also had the privilege of working with adults exiting incarceration, and was entrusted with a “front row seat” in supporting them as they sought to rebuild their lives. I’ve heard their stories…of pain and trauma…that led them to make decisions they never thought they would have made, ending up in places they never would have envisioned for themselves when they were children…and that we would never envision for any of our scholars. So many of these painful stories and journeys began in childhood…where messages of their worth and value (or lack thereof) were implicitly and explicitly reinforced by adults and systems that should have met them where they were, protected them and advocated for them EQUITABLY. It is my assumption and hopes that all of us here are committed to doing our part to make sure that ALL of our scholars are not only thriving now…but have bright and hopeful futures both inside and outside of the school walls. Our scholars should not only have adults in their lives that are pointing them towards hope and success-even when they are at their most difficult and fragile-but the greater systems of our city should choose to actively take a stance that reflects this hope as well…for ALL of our children.

I ask you, the board, to create a policy that will end all suspensions, expulsions, and arrests for elementary school students, except on 500 level offenses.

I will leave you with this African Proverb:

“The child who is not embraced by the village…will burn it down to feel its warmth”.

Thank you for your time,

Lori Beth Dunlap

April 23, 2018 By Lindsey Johnson, Communications Specialist - Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee

Child Abuse & How Community Members Can Make A Difference

Prevention of Child Abuse Comes in Many Forms

Steve coaches baseball for the local little league, giving kids encouragement (and Gatorade) at practices after school and during weekend games. Ashley volunteers in her church nursery, loving on babies and giving parents a needed break. Cedric spends time mentoring elementary school kids through a local agency, teaching them about life, working hard, and how to do a behind-the-back pass on the basketball court. And even though they might not realize it, Steve, Ashley, and Cedric are all preventing child abuse and neglect.

When communities are full of active, supportive adults, children grow up feeling secure and valued. And while only 27% of Americans report that they are engaged in prevention,

80% of Americans reported donating goods, money or time to an organization supporting children and families,
70% reported volunteering with children through places of worship, schools, and sports or academic clubs, and
56% provided mentorship to a child in their family, neighborhood or community.

What does effective support and protection of children look like?

These are all effective, meaningful ways to protect children and support happy, healthy childhoods! Whether or not you have children, you can have a profound impact on their well-being. It only takes ONE caring, supportive relationship with an adult to positively impact a child’s long-term success.

No matter if you are a parent, a grandparent, a neighbor, a coach, a teacher or simply a friend, know that when you spend time making children feel supported and valued, you are building a layer of protection around them, preparing them not only for a lifetime of success but also building their resilience for when the road gets rocky.

How to Make a Difference in A Child’s Life

While there are countless ways you can make a difference in a child’s life, here is a list of five things that EVERY child needs:

Holding and cuddling does more than just comfort; it helps children’s brains to grow and develop.
Music expands a child’s world, teaches new skills, and offers a fun way to interact.
Talking with a child helps to build verbal skills needed to succeed in school and later in life.
Play activities help children explore and develop their senses and discover how the world works.
Reading to children from the earliest days of life shows its importance and creates a lifelong love of books.

It’s important, too, to recognize the people who are playing these important parts in the lives of children. That’s what Prevent Child Abuse Tennesee’s #PassThePinwheel campaign is all about. It’s about calling attention to all the people who are preventing the abuse and neglect of children, even when they don’t realize that’s what they are doing. So find someone who is doing great things for kids – or maybe someone made a difference in your own childhood – and Pass the Pinwheel to them! When we all work together, we can make sure that every child experiences the happy, healthy childhood they deserve.

May 3, 2017 By Shan Foster

Domestic Violence – Shan Foster

I’m sure many of you watched the Super Bowl this year and are ready for the excitement of the NBA and NHL Playoffs. This is certainly a peak time of year for sports. I recently saw a video of Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots that caught my attention. He remained positive and demonstrated tremendous resilience and perseverance while facing the largest deficit his team had seen all season. No team playing in the Super Bowl had ever come back from a 25-point deficit in the history of the NFL. I was not surprised to see Julian’s positive attitude, but what did amaze me was his choice of words. While still trailing by at least three touchdowns and a field goals to the NFL’s leading offense, Julian told his teammates, “This is going to be one hell of a story.”

Wow! Most people wait until the momentum changes or the score gets a little closer before they outwardly express that kind of belief. But not Julian. This is what he said in what seemed to be defeat.

Watching the game, we all witnessed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports. And if we’re honest, most of us didn’t believe what Julian did. We simply didn’t think they could do it.

Like the Patriots, MEND has quite the lofty goal to make Nashville the safest city in the nation for women and girls. And, just like in the Patriots in the first three quarters of Super Bowl LI (or 51), many don’t think we have a chance. Some feel defeated when they look at the big screen and see the numbers.

1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime
1 in 5 women will experience sexual abuse before they are 18 years old
1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted or raped in college
3 women are killed each day by a man
Metro Nashville Police officers respond to a domestic violence call every 20 minutes
Tennessee ranks 9^th in the nation for the rate at which men kill women

Like Julian, I’m not oblivious to the numbers, but I also can’t ignore what else I see. When I look around Nashville, I see men who are committed to change. I see men who have stepped up to join women to end this violence. I see men who will hold other men accountable. And I see men who believe. Men who believe that violence is a learned behavior that can be changed. Men who believe that women are to be valued and respected. Men who believe that we can teach young men and boys a new definition of manhood. Men who believe in the power of love.

Therefore, in the end, we win. Not just we as men, but we as people. Men and women, boys and girls, together. It won’t happen overnight, just like it didn’t happen in one quarter for the Patriots. If we remain committed, persistent, and believe, then we will see a day when those numbers change. We will see the day when women and girls are not only safe, but valued and respected. We will see the day when men and boys are free from stereotypes and the “boys will be boys” expectation will mean that boys will be respectful, loving, and kind! On that day, we all win! So, let’s #MENDit2Endit!

About the Author

Shan Foster, Sr. Director of External Affairs and MEND, YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee

Shan Foster has served as the MEND Director since spring 2015. Shan graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human and Organizational Development in 2008. During his time at Vanderbilt, Shan was named SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the year and is Vanderbilt University’s all-time leading scorer. Shan was drafted into the NBA in 2008 and was inducted to the Tennessee Hall of Fame in 2009. Recently, Shan was honored as SEC Legend at the 2016 SEC Basketball Tournament. Prior to his work at YWCA, Shan served as Dean of Culture for the Intrepid College Preparatory Charter School, where he now serves on the board of directors.

March 28, 2017 By Andrew Maraniss

Andrew Maraniss on Race

The other day I was scanning Twitter and ran across a provocative thread of posts from an attorney, librarian and writer named April Hathcock.

“Ok, friends,” she wrote, “We’re going to stop talking about “diversity & inclusion” when what we’re really talking about is race, racism, and whiteness … We’re going to stop talking about “diversity & inclusion” when what we’re really talking about is queer hate, trans hate, heteronormativity…We’re going to be intentional about the oppression and violence about which we speak. We’re going to be intersectional but also specific … We’ve been using intersectionality as an excuse to use feel good euphemisms. We’re going to stop doing that.”

I was intrigued by April’s reframing of the subject because not only does it appeal to the activists among us, in its specificity it can be used to disarm the cynic who dismisses diversity and inclusion efforts as unnecessary, liberal, PC mumbo jumbo. Let’s get real, April is saying.

In 2014, I published a book called STRONG INSIDE, a biography of Perry Wallace, the first African-American basketball player in the Southeastern Conference. Wallace played at Vanderbilt University in the late 1960s, and as he made history on the basketball courts of the Deep South, Wallace feared for his life. He’d ask himself what’s the worst that could happen, and in his mind, he imagined being shot and killed somewhere like Starkville, Mississippi or Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he was routinely harassed by fans with threats with lynching or castration. Back on his own campus in Nashville, Wallace was kicked out of a white church, his best friend was addressed by the N-word on his first day of English class.

A few months ago, I converted STRONG INSIDE into a young readers’ edition, aimed at kids 10 and older. With concern over the sensitivities of some readers (or more accurately, their parents), I debated how much of the derogatory language to keep in this condensed version of the book. In the end, I opted to keep all of it. The truly offensive thing, I decided, would be to whitewash history and let the racists off the hook by sanitizing their words, and in so doing minimizing the hostility and discrimination Wallace encountered and so courageously overcame.

So, I appreciate that this isn’t international diversity day. It’s the International Day for the Elimination of Racism and Discrimination. And this year’s theme isn’t “Celebrate (Insert Diverse Name Here) Culture Day.” Rather, the theme is “Racial profiling and incitement to hatred, including in the context of migration.”
This is the kind of real language April Hathcock was calling for. And a reminder that sometimes being careful about the language we use means telling it like it is, not cleaning it up.

About the Author

Andrew Maraniss is the New York Times-bestselling author of STRONG INSIDE. The original, adult version of the book received the Lillian Smith Book Award for civil rights and the RFK Book Awards’ Special Recognition Prize for social justice. The Young Readers edition has been named one of the Top 10 Biographies for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @trublu24, and visit his website at www.andrewmaraniss.com

March 28, 2016 By Andee Rudloff

Young Artists Are Not Just a Sound Bite

I want to begin with a young artist who has always inspired me, Jean Michel Basquiat.

Young Artists are Not Just a Sound Bite

Basquiat was a highly intelligent, teenage graffiti artist, known by other street artists as ”Samo,” His curated mark-making and sayings on public buildings around Manhattan were numerous and impossible to ignore due to his use of events, vocabulary and lettering. By the late 70s Basquiat had achieved a kind of cult status amongst the East Village hipsters. His choices were informed, intelligent, highly individualistic and not about claiming space but cultivating thought through careful placement and idea sharing. Eventually he began to use television images, comic-book heroes, fragments from the Bible, slogans; he appropriated it all into his work. Art at the time was intellectualized and devoid of humanity. When Basquiat took his work from the street to canvases inside galleries, he could barely keep up with the demand. His jazzy, improvisational paintings, influenced by masters like Matisse, Picasso and Twombly, breathed life back into a sterile art world. Especially his colorful triptych painting Notary, which was thirteen feet of words and images scrolling the panels connecting his own personal stories with pop culture.

Jean Michel Basquiat was born on December 22, 1960, and died August 12, 1988, at only 27 years old. The impact Basquiat made on contemporary art in the 1980s and thereafter is undeniably epic.

The American education system is known for producing the best and brightest minds in the world. Our curriculums’ push towards the study of math, science, technology, medicine and law. Our curriculum is losing its focus on the arts as a valuable piece to help our students invent, communicate and problem solve in creative ways. The arts and musical education are devalued and dismissed as a legitimate pathway to successful life. The arts matter! We must create more opportunities for young minds like Basquiat to grow and change the world.

According to DoSomething.org, “Children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in all of their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education. Much like expert technical skills, mastery in arts and humanities is closely correlated to high earnings.”

I know the arts help create community and transform academic spaces while maintaining cultural heritage and building voice. This is not a short quote, this is not a sound bite, the arts make America memorable, exciting and innovative. The arts will always be the secret ingredient the American educational system has over the rest of the world. Giving permission to think outside the box while exploring opportunities for youth to be creative is essential to being a better country. Together through art we will change the world.

Happy Youth Art Month…#dostuff and go make a difference!

To learn more about Andee Rudloff visit her website.

Prevention of Child Abuse Comes in Many Forms

What does effective support and protection of children look like?

How to Make a Difference in A Child’s Life

About the Author

Young Artists are Not Just a Sound Bite

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