Dear GSSC-MM Family,
Thank you, from the bottom of my
heart, for working to make strides to ensure diverse, equitable, and
inclusive Girl Scouting in your communities across our council. Our
girls, ALL girls, deserve a world free of racism and injustice. This
is a journey, this is our journey, and we must take it together for
the sake of our girls.
Since I came back home—to Girl
Scouts, where my heart is, I have been adamant that no girl should be
left behind. Unfortunately, girls are being left behind. And it is
often Black and Brown girls who experience the injustice and inequity
in our world.
I read a story recently that evoked so
many feelings. Many Black Americans are sharing personal stories that
really show what they experience every, single day. One woman, wrote
about her fond memories of being a Girl Scout through her entire
school years. Her mostly black troop, based out of Detroit, went on
camping trips, shared s’mores, packed their knapsacks, sat around
campfires, and enjoyed everything that Girl Scouts cherish.
Not until the death of George Floyd did she realize the peril
that her troop leaders faced to ensure the girls had those true Girl
Scout experiences. This is what that, now grown, Girl Scout
wrote,
“Last night I talked to my best friend, whose
mom was one of our leaders and camp chaperones. We were talking
about camp, and her mom mentioned staying up with two other moms all
night, taking stations at each door and window of our cabin and
having night watch.”
“Night watch? I asked, genuinely confused. What kind
of bears did y’all think were going to open the door of our cabin
and eat us? I asked, jokingly.
“She got quiet. ‘Not bears,’
she said, ‘the Klan.”
These leaders knew that the troop had to have the full
Girl Scout experience and they made sure the girls were protected.
Many volunteers and girls of color experience this kind of fear every
single day of their lives.
Over the past 2 months Girl
Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands staff has undergone
training to understand implicit bias and racism, participated in book
clubs, and committed to continuous improvement mindsets to make the
world a better place for all girls.
Volunteers joined us
for a 3-part town hall series on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
They shared their hearts and minds with impactful and meaningful
dialogue around the social responsibility of leading a diverse group
of girls while building courage, confidence, and character.
Our
work is not even close to being complete.
Rosa Parks said, “To
bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We
will fail when we fail to try.”
I’ve said before that we
must lead with our hearts. This rings true now, more than ever
before. As leaders, we have a responsibility to reach out and work to
truly understand people, and their differences; Those differences that
make people uniquely who they are, uniquely beautiful. We must
intentionally work to build connections with those who appear unlike
ourselves.
I am passionate about this organization,
about you, about our girls. I believe in girls and have no doubt they
will lead us into our future with great heart and they understand
that, to make the world a better place, we must work together to build
anti-racist systems that prioritize equity and inclusion at all
levels. Crucial to this work is advocating for those who are among the
most marginalized by society, our communities of color.
When we say Black Lives Matter, Girl Scouts acknowledges the existence
of racism in all of its forms and our commitment to dismantling it,
including by supporting initiatives that aim to protect and empower
Black communities. We understand that we need to advocate for Black
lives mattering if we are to reach a point where every person is
treated by society as though their life matters.
If a
house is on fire in your neighborhood and everyone works to save your
neighbor’s home…do you say, but what about my home? Right then, in
that moment, your neighbor’s house needs the attention. At this moment
in time it is a priority for us, as Girl Scouts, to ensure EVERY girl
is thriving. Right now our attention needs to be on diversity, equity,
and inclusion. We support the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives
Matter is not a political movement. An independent federal agency
stated in an opinion in July that the Black Lives Matter Global
Network did not meet any criteria for a "partisan political
group," in part because the group says it will fight against
officials from both parties who do not share its beliefs. Black Lives
Matter is about equity, human rights, not politics.
We
are committed to deep and engaged learning for the long haul, the long
journey. We promise to observe, educate ourselves, and reflect on the
ways racism shows up in our organization, other institutions, our
culture, and ourselves.
My promise to you is that we will
listen to you and each other. I promise that we will continue to
engage in challenging discussions. Many conversations may be
uncomfortable, but they are absolutely necessary. I promise to have a
D.E.I. lens on everything we do--examining practices, decisions, and
access to Girl Scouting.
That grown Girl Scout I wrote
about earlier, who just recently discovered how protected she was,
also voiced that even though it has been 30 years, nothing has
changed. Many Black parents still have the same anxieties they did 30
years ago.
Girl Scouts must lead this movement for the
future of all girls. We must commit to serving ALL girls and making
the world a better place by taking action to change our world and
ensure there is social justice for all.
I am always
available for questions and discussions. Thank you for engaging and
being a champion for change, leading this important work.
With Immense Gratitude,
Lora Tucker
We have several resources for girls and adults. Please join me by continuing to educate yourself and your girls on what we can all do to fight injustice and advocate for others.
