Dear PEPS Community,

We are late in sharing this message. We have been taking some time to reflect and step back. We are devastated by the senseless murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. We remember and mourn local mother of four, Charleena Lyles, who was killed by Seattle police officers in 2017. It should never have taken this long for PEPS and our country to wake up to the systemic racial injustices Black people are subject to in our community and across the country every day. We stand in solidarity with the Black community in calling for justice and accountability. Black Lives Matter.

PEPS believes that together, we can make generational change – by starting with parents who influence the children they raise – and we need your commitment too. Today we specifically call in families in our community to join us as we learn more, do better, and follow the lead of people of color in this movement.

To the tens of thousands of white parents in our community:
Talk with your kids about race and racism – early and often. Here are some resources for raising anti-racist children. Get involved. Demand accountability from your elected officials.

To all of the parents in current and future PEPS groups:
Be curious and commit to learning about and supporting the racial and social identity development of your baby.

To our dedicated group leaders:
Listen, learn, lead and hold space for courageous conversations. We will provide additional training and resources to support you.

To those who are just awakening to the injustices of our nation:
Begin your journey of learning and unlearning today. Consider starting here.

To the many of you in our community who are donors, funders, and supporters:
Make a gift to organizations working on the front lines of the fight for racial justice. PEPS has contributed to The Conscious Kid, and Embrace Race.

PEPS is committed to racial equity and we started with learning and reflecting and intentionally making changes from the inside out. We will be more vocal about this work. We will continue to listen and learn and provide resources and support so we can all do better, take action, and stand up to fight against injustice. We are counting on you to join us.

With gratitude,

Dana Guy
Executive Director, Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS)