I think every person that walks the face of the Earth has a calling and passion they are meant to maximize to make our world a better place. For me, my passion and calling comes through acting, but it also shows up through my nonprofit Kamp Kizzy.
Kamp Kizzy gives young people the opportunity to learn, share, explore and expand their horizons through workshops, candid discussions and the opportunity to meet and “pick” the brains of some of the top individuals in their given professions. Now that we have been doing Kamp Kizzy for nearly a decade, there are some undeniable truths that have been reinforced through this work.
The first truth is that when children are exposed to careers, opportunities and people that inspire, they become more determined about pursuing their life’s work. The second great truth that has been cemented through this work is education is the great equalizer for children who might come from underserved communities and cities. Because the second truth is so near and dear to my heart, I have joined forces with a great organization, American Federation for Children, and its mission is to make sure all children have access to a quality education.
An unfortunate reality for far too many families in our great country is that they are limited in their ability to access the best education for their children. Oftentimes, these barriers are due to lack of financial resources or their zip code and/or address is in a part of town that relegates them to inferior educational opportunities.
Our country is founded and thrives on opportunity and the mere fact that so many of our children are not getting the educational opportunities they so richly deserve is one of the reasons I unabashedly lend my name and voice to the issue of school choice.
Disproportionately, children of color and lesser financial means are the ones who are subjected to poor schools that have been underperforming for decades. Giving their families more quality options when it comes to their children’s education is one of the ways we can proactively solve this mammoth of an issue.
Finally, I just want to explicitly and emphatically state that, for me, the issue of school choice is about children. It is not about political party, affiliation or any other motive that does not derive itself from doing what is best for our children. I will humbly ask that you, like I, add your voice and support to American Federation for Children and the work it continues to do for our children especially those who are low-income and working-class and deserving the opportunity to access great schools.
For more information on American Federation for Children, visit Federationforchildren.org or Championsforchoice.com.
