What do you show up for?

Former Presidential candidate and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker sat down recently with the Editorial Board of the New York Times. It is worth reading the entire transcript but the 2 minute video of Booker's answer to the question, who has broken your heart, is one to watch and consider - especially on this, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In the clip, reflecting on killing of a young man from Newark, Senator Booker says "We were all there for his death but we were not there for his life." The same could be said of the man we celebrate today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is easy to pay tribute with pictures and quotes, but the real question remains - what do we show up for? What do we do to not only remember the man but to join in the cause that defined his life, of fighting for justice, freedom and equality. Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated not just a change of hearts and minds - but for reform of the structures that perpetuated poverty and injustice. (A great new book on unconscious bias and prejudice is Biased by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt of Stanford University.)

As Cory Booker's story reminds us, criminal justice reform is fundamental to any meaningful systemic changes. Rather than recount the reasons here, I would highly recommend reading Bryan Steven's bestselling book, Just Mercy. You can even see the movie version, which is playing in theaters now. Remembering the dream, not just in word but in deed demands that we consider all of the places where we have an opportunity not only build more just systems but interrupt intergenerational poverty cycles.

Some might be surprised to know that on the short-list of tools for fighting injustice and creating opportunity is Early Childhood Education. It is an effective and essential ingredient to any meaningful effort to increase equity in our communities. Why? The first few years of life are a “big bang” for learning —100 billion neurons are connected at a rate of seven hundred synapses per second. Eighty-five percent of brain development occurs between the ages of 0 and 5. These early investments have lifelong benefits, with studies showing improved academic performance grades in K-12, higher high-school graduation rates as well as college attendance and even career success. On the flip-side, incidents of disease, high school drop-out rates, participation in criminal behavior, likelihood of teenage pregnancy and the need for special education services are all lower. Here in the Bay Area, with its high cost housing, access to affordable, quality care is inextricably linked to preventing homelessness. What's more, Nobel laureate and University of Chicago Economist James Heckman has just published new research that shows high-quality investments result in stronger families and multi-generation outcomes, emerging as an effective way to break the cycle of poverty.

So, what can you do?

You can learn more about early learning and why it is important by joining us at Hillview Middle School on January 22nd for a screening of the powerful documentary on early childhood education, No Small Matter. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring local early learning educators, preschool parents as well as San Mateo County Office of Education Superintendent Nancy Magee, San Mateo County Supervisor David Pine and Menlo Park Mayor, Cecilia Mayor. Speaking on these matters of equity in early education, Mayor Taylor recently said, “The field of Early Childhood Education must have expanded access and increased quality for all of our young minds to experience their full potential. Assisting the general public in the understanding of brain development will hopefully encourage a significant investment in early childhood programs.This is the first step to providing a foundation for a high-quality life.”

On February 9th you will have a second opportunity to learn about this issue as it relates to the March 3rd Elections: an ECE Forum for CA District 13 Candidates for State Senate. A diverse coalition of local organizations are hosting this event. Ted Lempert, CEO of Children Now and lecturer at UC Berkeley will moderate this conversation with the candidates. Dr. Deborah Stipek of the Graduate School of Education at Stanford will offer opening remarks, to be followed by a Q&A session with the candidates as they talk about their platforms and plans for elevating early learning issues and leading our state to greater equity in education, especially for young children and preschool teachers.

We have in our hands the tools for bending the arcs of justice - in our lifetime. The question is, will we? Will we show up not just today in remembering MLK's death but will we let our hearts be broken by the causes that defined his life. And, will our sorrow compel us to engage in our communities in matters where we can make a difference. It doesn't have to be a dream. It can be reality, if we show up.