A few months ago, I visited the Black Panther Museum in Oakland.
As I walked through the education exhibit, I found myself reflecting on a lesson that feels as urgent today as it did sixty years ago- be responsive to the needs of our children.
Many of us know that the Black Panther Party didn’t wait for institutions to recognize what children needed. When they saw children arriving at school hungry, they responded. They lived in the community, they listened to the community, they identified the needs of the community, and then they responded to the needs with actions. The Free Breakfast for Children Program became a blueprint for programs that still exist today, including the national free breakfast and school lunch program…