At Exchange Press, we strive to remain non-partisan as an editorial team and as a publication. This is important to us for many reasons. Like our readers, our staff members hold political beliefs that run the gamut from conservative to liberal—and everything in between—and we aim to be inclusive of everyone’s values. We also know, and appreciate, that our readers are not homogenous—after all, a key mission of Exchange Press is the exchange of ideas. We want everyone who picks up a copy of Exchange to feel welcomed, seen and represented in its pages.

However, our first obligation is to the children we serve, and I believe that being non-partisan does not mean that we must be apolitical. There are times when we must come together and take a stand for children’s rights. In the United States, we are witnessing pervasive sentiments of hate and “othering” from the highest elected officials in the land—statements that, without a doubt, manifest negative consequences for children. Meantime, we are bystanders to the imprisonment of asylum seekers in squalid detention centers, where young children are left to care for each other without adequate hygiene supplies or food. As early childhood professionals, we are aware of the lifelong trauma these children are likely to experience as a result of being separated from their parents.

To deny that this is happening within our country’s borders is to become the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand. We cannot unsee these children’s suffering, nor can we divorce their experiences from our own citizenship. As early childhood professionals, our calling is to care for all children, regardless of race, ethnicity, language spoken, country of origin or life circumstance. Never in my lifetime—in my country—has it been so apparent that children are the pawns of political machinations. Never have I felt more called to action.

As some political figures have chosen to weaponize race, their actions have revealed the philosophical chasms that exist in our country, and have laid bare the racism that has never been fully exorcised from our highest institutions. Again, I profess that these are not—and should not be—partisan concerns, as acceptance of all people as equals is an ideal that is not qualified by a D or R next to one’s name.

I am not alone in my concerns; children’s advocates are alarmed, as well. On August 2, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement highlighting racism’s long-term effects on children’s health. “If you look at what’s in the news today, in social media, on Twitter, there’s so much kids are exposed to,” said Jackie Douge, a pediatrician who co-wrote the statement. “It’s having direct health effects on kids.”

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A corresponding Washington Post article noted, “Researchers have increasingly identified dangers of racism in developing babies and children. Studies have found lower birth weights in babies born to African American mothers who experience discrimination. A recent analysis found an increased risk of premature birth among Latina women following the last election, part of a pattern of poorer health outcomes among Latinos during [the current] administration. Other recent studies have found an increased risk of depression, obesity and greater susceptibility to sickness among children who are exposed to racism.”
It is my belief that within these challenges, these grave sadnesses, opportunities exist for our field to care for and speak for all children. When spiders unite, they can tie up a lion. When we all work together, we can create positive change for children that reverberates around the world.

I am honored in this issue of Exchange magazine to present a special Focus On section on race, with articles by a group of brilliant and thoughtful thinkers. Each of the articles unpacks conversations about race or racism vis a vis early childhood, and importantly, all of them offer strategies we can bring into our classrooms and programs. For our readers who are already considering and acting upon these ideas, welcome. For our readers who question whether it’s appropriate for Exchange to take a strong stand against racism, welcome. Thank you in advance for approaching these articles with an open mind. I hope that you will find yourself appreciating new ideas and perspectives that broaden your own. I know I did.

In solidarity on the path toward love and respect for all,

Sara Gilliam