An 11-year-old Texas native’s mission to spread kindness in his local community has evolved into a national movement. TIME recently announced Orion Jean—founder of Race to Kindness—is the publication’s 2021 Kid of the Year.
From hunger to housing insecurity, the global health crisis exacerbated a multitude of longstanding issues. It was in the midst of the pandemic when Jean made the decision to dedicate his time to helping vulnerable communities. After winning the National Kindness Speech Contest in 2020, he used his prize money to fund Race to Kindness; a project in which he organizes an array of social good efforts.
Through Race to Kindness, the sixth-grader collected over 500,000 books to distribute to youth throughout the country in an effort to address the literacy gap and book deserts. He also hosted a food drive and provided over 100,000 meals for families facing food insecurity in the Dallas-Fort Worth community.
In an interview with Angelina Jolie, the youngster shared his purpose is rooted in uplifting people through generosity and hopes his efforts can serve as inspiration for others. “We can’t force others to be kind, but we can be kind ourselves and hope to inspire other people,” he shared. “So many people have great ideas but never act on them. I want others to know that they can start today. If there’s an issue or problem you want to solve, all it takes is just knowing deep down that it’s something you care about. I hope that by spreading kindness, I can inspire people to change their ways and be more kind in the future.”
Amongst some of the other Kid of the Year nominees were 13-year-old Brooklyn-bred DJ Samirah Horton—known as DJ Annie Red—who uses music to spread awareness about bullying and activist Mina Fedor who is taking a stand against anti-Asian racism.
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Workers manning registration desks at the University of Alabama watch as student Vivian Malone enters Foster Auditorium on campus to register for classes in 1963. Miss Malone and fellow student Jimmy Hood were the first African American students to attend the University. | Source: Bettmann / Getty UPDATED: 9:05 a.m. Feb. 1, 2022 Originally published: Feb. 1, 2021 After what seemed like a full calendar year of nonstop Black history — what with the historic election of the first Black vice president, thanks in no small part to Black voters — Black History Month is making a triumphant return this year both in spite of and because of current turn of events. As the country anxiously awaits President Joe Biden making good on his promise to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, the nation’s education system remains under fire for curricula that include teaching Black history, making it unclear how — or if — those who write history books for future school-aged students will accurately document current events, including the diversification of the land’s highest court. MORE: Why Is Black History Month Celebrated In February? The way history chooses — and has chosen — to remember these types of moments that affect Black people is very much part of the reason why there remains an urgent need for Black History Month to not only be observed but also to be celebrated and honored, especially in 2022. Let’s be clear: From the moment enslaved Africans were kidnapped and brought to the land that went on to be called the United States, there has been Black history in America. Black folks have overcome obstacle after obstacle to continue making that same history in the face of adversity. Thurgood Marshall pictured in his robe prior to being sworn in as the first Black member of the U. S. Supreme Court, October 2, 1967. Marshall, the great-grandson of a slave, swore to “do equal right to the poor and the rich” as he took the oath at the opening session of the court. | Source: Bettmann / Getty So with Black History Month upon us, there may be no better time to reflect on the timeless and seemingly endless contributions that Black people have bestowed upon these United States. From fighting for desegregation to fighting in the American military to fighting for an education, and much, much more, the struggle was very real. And while Black folks have continued the fight on a number of different levels, the struggle has persisted. Civil rights have played a major role for the Black man in America, something that is more than apparent in the below vintage photos of Black people making history in America despite a greater power at work against it. It shows the good, the bad and, because it was in the U.S. during a time of heightened, overt racism, the ugly. Scroll down to see more classic images from centuries ago up until just a few short decades ago.
11-Year-Old ‘Race To Kindness’ Founder Named TIME’s Kid Of The Year was originally published on newsone.com
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