July 26, 2020

We wear a lot of hats in the food industry: strategists, procurement leads, thought leaders, advisors, entrepreneurs, executives. For many of us, we are also parents.  

If you’re lucky enough to find true friends in the industry, you support them in all of these roles. In 2020, we are navigating a lot together.

And when a friend shared the the work of her son, Jay, I was blown away. 

Jay and his classmate, Karn, shortly after the death of George Floyd launched a fundraiser for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

You may think you’ve heard this story before, but you haven’t. The boys are fourteen years old.

One fourteen year old is African American and one is South Asian American. They are rising ninth graders who decided to very deliberately and clearly address why racism is on their minds and what they are doing about it.

We recently interviewed them on our podcast (link below). As you listen to these two young men share their thoughts, the wisdom is coming from a profoundly deep place.  

It’s not the first time we’ve seen leadership this young.  

As I watched today’s funeral procession of John Lewis, of his remarkable legacy crossing the bridge in Selma, Alabama, one last time, I thought of the legacy he has in these young men. 

We’ve seen children lead before, when Malala began speaking out and writing about education at 12, when Greta Thunberg, at 15, began her climate protests . 

It’s clear that the children are not only listening, they are also teaching and leading. 

They are building justice into infrastructures where it didn’t exist, they are designing new organizations with justice at the roots and in the DNA, and they are building a better, more equitable tomorrow, for themselves, our children and their children.

On this episode of Take Out with Ashley and Robyn, I am proud and in awe to share the voices of these two young men who are working to raise $18,650 for the NAACP. They’ve already hit and re-set their goal several times.

John Lewis said, “You must be prepared if you believe in something.  If you believe in something,  you have to go for it.”  

He also said, “You must be bold, brave and courageous and find a way….to get in the way.”

Please make the time to listen to these bold, brave and courageous fourteen year old, young men. They are not only getting in the way, but they are also showing us the way. They are a beacon of light and bring faith to a brighter tomorrow.  

Please meet Jay and Karn. LISTEN TO THEIR PODCAST here=>  Episode 133 with Jay Bowles and Karn Kaura

You can also listen here on Apple iTunes.