In many ways, the two kids I helped raise had great childhoods. There were four adults who loved them - a mom and stepmom, a dad and stepdad - and they were surrounded by role models who were engaged in efforts to improve their communities and world. They learned early that different people have different strengths and grew to appreciate variation in both style and substance. That said, regardless of which house they were living in on a particular day, they always bristled when they were dropped off in activist-sponsored child care or dragged to demonstrations. "It's boring," they'd whine. "There's nothing for us to do."
More often than not, they were right.
Activist mothers Victoria Law and China Martens have compiled an anthology aimed at changing this. Fifty-one essays offer practical ideas - outlining specific ways to integrate kids into conferences, rallies and meetings and ensure that babies and toddlers are well tended. The goal? To enable exhausted parents and caregivers to participate in movements for social justice by offering concrete support to them and their offspring. What's more, several contributors address caring for parents and other elders and highlight how best to bolster comrades and friends when they are grieving. Furthermore, the importance of maintaining one's own mental and physical health is spotlighted as a political imperative.
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| China at Don't Leave Your Friends Behind launch party, Normals Bookstore, Baltimore, MD |
