The Khalid Jabara 'Tikkun Olam' Memorial Library

The actions of my brother’s murderer are akin to the actions of President Trump these last 5 years. This isn’t just about white privilege. It’s about the privi...lege and entitlement of Americans. My family and I came to this country 35 years ago, fleeing a civil war in Lebanon. My parents left their possessions, their home, their friends and family behind in one night to escape instability and violence and political upheaval they saw in their beloved homeland. We are proud to be Americans. And we worked hard to get here. But we have also been let down. Not only with words that incite from the leader of our nation that, we believe, contributed to the murder of my brother, Khalid. We were let down by the local authorities, police, by the courts, by Judge Bill Lafortune...all because they didn’t take my brother’s killer’s words (and even violent actions when he ran over my mother with his car) seriously. We saw first hand how words matter. We saw first hand how racisim and fearful rhetoric are dangerous and can literally kill. We saw first hand that when you don’t take hate speech seriously, it will almost certainly lead to violence. Come Jan 20, my hope is to finally try and put the past behind us, yet we will never forget the irreplaceable damage that was done. We plan to continue to grow the good work of the #KhalidJabara Foundation with The Khalid Jabara 'Tikkun Olam' Memorial Library, expanding our monthly Social Justice Story Hours (stay tuned for more!) and working to pass the #JabaraHeyerNoHateAct, which will improve hate crime reporting/data (thank you, #Georgia!!). #PeaceBeginsWithMe #JusticeForKhalid

Today marks four years since we lost our son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend, Khalid because of the relentless and pervasive evil that is racism. We mourn and remember him every single day. We cannot change every racist worldview and we cannot bring back the ones we have lost but we can move forward with determination, dedicated to the project of peace, justice and radical empathy. This critical project starts with our smallest humans. It starts when we hug them tight and ...remind them that they are deeply loved and worthy of kindness and safety. It continues when we remind them that all children, regardless of appearance, religion, and experiences are equally deserving of that same love, kindness, and safety, and that the differences we share are what make the world so beautiful and full of magic. We've taken these past few months to rest, regroup, and refocus. This project is one of determination, and passion, and during this break we've had the opportunity to dream big and plan for its future. We are looking forward to sharing these dreams with you soon. Stay safe, dearest friends. We'll be back soon #peacebeginswithme #justice4khalid

Unsure about how to talk to children about race and racism? Authors Ingram X. Kendi and Renée Watson say books are a great place to start.

If you were not able to watch Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism, with your children, you are not too late!

Today, we remember James Byrd, Jr. an African American man who was murdered by three white supremacists in a hate crime on this day in 1998. His death shook the... nation, not only for its brutality but also for the fact that the perpetrators weren't charged with hate crimes. Together with the family of Matthew Shepard, another man who was killed in a horrific hate crime the same year, James Byrd Jr.'s family began advocating for new hate crime legislation that would hold these perpetrators accountable for their violence. And we joined them to get the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed in 2009. The family of Khalid Jabara, a man who was killed in a horrific hate crime in 2016, and the family of Heather Heyer, who was killed in a vicious hate crime in 2017, worked together to support introduction of the Jabara Heyer NO HATE Act. The Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act builds on the 2009 law by strengthening hate crime data collection, creates hotlines to assist victims, and requires individuals convicted with a hate crime to undergo educational programs or community service. Tell your senators to pass the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act now!

"We are black people, you can't really change us. Just because you treat us unfair, that's not going to affect me because I'm proud of who I am." -Davin, 10 years old Teaching "color blindness" doesn't work. We should be talking with our children about race, and how all races are beautiful, important and worthy of love and safety.... Check out this video with Ibram X. Kendi, professor and children's book author about raising anti-racist children. #blacklivesmatter #peacebeginswithme

Friends, talking to our small humans about kindness, racism and empathy is an act of justice. As parents, educators and caregivers this is our work. Princess Margaret Hajjar and Symon Hajjar are the wisdom and heart behind Hot Toast Music Co. They craft songs for children and families about peace, friendship, justice, and sometimes, potatoes. Their latest song imagines a better world, free of fear and intimidation, a world our children deserve. We hope you will listen to th...is song with your small ones and share with others. Peace begins with babies. Peace begins when we have the hard conversations. Peace begins in our homes, when we read stories to our children about our history, the pains of our past, and the struggle for justice in our communities that continues to this very day. #peacebeginswithme #blacklivesmatter

BIG NEWS: Oprah & Deepak Chopra have released 21 days of free meditation for "Hope in Uncertain Times." Eradicate fear and doubt. Renew a sense of trust and optimism about your life and our world.

January 16, 5:30 pm Put this date on your calendar and join us for Social Justice Story Hour.January 16, 5:30 pm Put this date on your calendar and join us for Social Justice Story Hour.