This month, KCCA folks are getting into the swing of two twice a week childcare events (Nicholas House and MEIA-G ESL classes Tuesdays and Thursdays.) More and more folks are continuously getting involved and we are consistently excited to welcome new faces into the collective. At the recent planning meeting, three new organizers came and our planning meeting was one of the most productive in months.
We are gearing up to create a documentary about radical childcare, KCCA, the struggle for figuring out how to get funding (do we register as a non-profit???,) and the history of radical childcare. We are planning on gathering footage from a couple other events at which we provide care, as well as at the AMC conference. There, we plan to interview members of other collectives about their history, work, and vision. We are planning to create a full-length feature film! It’s gonna be awesome!!!
We are also getting ready to create some KCCA schwag to help us spread the word and recruit more volunteers. Stickers, buttons, bookmarks, oh my!
*On a more personal note*
And on a more somber one: the political climate in Georgia, while it certainly hasn’t been friendly to people of color, immigrants, or low-income folks before, is increasingly becoming more and more hostile. HB 87, a rampantly racist piece of legislation designed to punish immigrants for attempting to create better lives for themselves and their families, passed in the GA assembly. Attacks on the working class are coming from everywhere. At times, it’s easy – maybe even unavoidable – to feel utterly discouraged and crushed by the injustices that are being perpetrated by our government, police, and elite class every day. Sometimes it’s easy to look at the work you’re doing and wonder if it makes any difference, if it matters, if you should just give up. But, ultimately, we are all in this fight together, and the wonderful thing about KCCA is that through this work, we can stand in solidarity in a real and effective way with the folks most directly effected by oppression. Every time I help provide a welcome, safe, fun space for children who’s parents are struggling, I am reminded why the work is worthwhile, important, and necessary. (Also, it’s fun, and that’s not terribly easy to come by these days in a lot of community work.)
KCCA has done a lot in less than a year. I am continuously touched and inspired by the dedication, talent, and general awesomeness of the people who have made the collective what it is, as well as the incredible work of the women and men who organize with our partner organizations. As cheesy as it sounds, at the end of the day, even the worst ones like the day HB 87 passed, the growth and effectiveness and potential of KCCA keeps me hopeful. It’s shown me that radical community organizing can be effective, that people can come together to meet each other’s needs, and that there are plenty of people who DO care.
End of cheesy (but heartfelt) rant! Thanks for reading!
