This week many of us will celebrate Independence Day in the US. This holiday is meant to embody the values of America - love of country, freedom, and the celebration of personal sovereignty and self-determination. But for many, this holiday means more than backyard picnics, fireworks, and red, white, and blue. It reminds some of the ongoing oppression, violence, or lack of inclusion that they or people they love have faced throughout this country's history and still face today.
Our precious foundation of Democracy only works if we each proactively inform ourselves and participate. This means consuming both current events and historical lessons from sources that do not simply reinforce the things we think we understand. This means connecting with others in our community and actively connecting with those who might not see eye-to-eye with us on everything. This means registering to vote and voting; registering others to vote and helping them get to the voting booth. This means listening to the concerns, hopes, and fears of who and what may offend us or seem different or ignorant, owning where we might be wrong, loving enough to do better, and ultimately grow and evolve.
This country faces immense challenges. So many it is hard to wrap our arms and hearts around them without feeling overwhelmed or hopeless. But today, we want to focus on one that we feel needs our immediate attention and support.
What is happening at our borders, particularly as it relates to the children and families that are there, is a dire and urgent crisis. There is no way around describing it as such. Children have been separated from their parents and families, and their basic human rights and needs are being neglected. They are sick, dirty, scared, and alone.
As Americans we should find this emphatically unacceptable. And this week, as we celebrate this great country let’s focus on working to make it a place that we can all continue to be proud of.
This week, we will be donating a portion of all sales made on kyprisbeauty.com to the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project.
The Florence Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal service organization providing free legal services to men, women, and unaccompanied children in immigration custody in Arizona.
To thank you for your support of this effort, any purchases of $100 or more made on kyprisbeauty.com through July 10th, 2019 will receive the gift of a Mini Cerulean Mask.
You can learn more about the Florence project here.
