Introduction 

Christianna Clinton is a parent leader living in Washington state. She became active in the WSA Parent Ambassadors Program in 2016 after the election of former President Trump. As a White woman, she had an understanding of inequities around socioeconomic status. Shifting her focus to racial justice became a priority to her following the 2016 presidential election. She wanted to shift mindsets in her local community.

For Christianna, being a Parent Ambassador meant engaging in a deep practice and commitment to unlearning and relearning what it means to truly be anti-racist, even when it’s uncomfortable or frustrating, because it’s truly rewarding.

Christianna believes racial justice work transforms families and communities, and has experienced that transformation with her own family as well. Christianna was taught by her parents not to see someone by the color of their skin, but who they are as a person. It wasn’t until engaging in conversations with other parent leaders that she realized this can make people of color feel invisible. Engaging in hard conversations with a commitment to want to learn and grow allowed Christianna to understand why what she was taught was misguided. With this new knowledge, Christianna engaged in open and honest conversations with her parents, who identified as Republicans from Texas and Georgia, about racial injustices to help them unpack their own biases.

For Christianna, “your actions have to match your words,” and she is willing to stand up for what she believes in. 

Parents, especially low-income and Black, and Latino/a, Indigenous, and other parents of color, are often left out of critical discussions about early learning. This case study highlights the journey of the WSA Parent Ambassadors to build a culture of community that values justice, equity, diversity and inclusion that uplifts parent voices. Parent Ambassadors centers these values in the advocacy and organizing efforts of Parent Ambassadors, thus interrupting perpetuating White-dominant culture and policy making.