Twenty years after the event that launched America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest network dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth is marking the occasion with a letter to America authored by its Chair Alma Powell and Founding Chair General Colin Powell to focus the nation on the needs of young people.
Our Cause: A Letter to America, released this week, notes that while there has been good progress over the years, the hard truth is that for too many young people, equal opportunity, a real chance to pursue their American Dream and reach their full potential often seems unrealistic and out of reach.
“As we reflect on 20 years of work with organizations, schools and communities, we thought now was a good time to make a new appeal to the country,” said Alma Powell. “We’ve learned so much about what works to help young people, but we still have much more work to do when it comes to providing more opportunities to young people. The letter to America is our call to all Americans to join this cause with us. Only an army of caring adults can help us to reach more young people. And we can all do something to support young people, starting today.”
In 1997, all the living presidents of the United States came together at the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future in an unprecedented move of bipartisan support and collaboration on behalf of America’s youth. Continuing in that same spirit, the Powell’s are urging individuals of all parties and all walks of life to come together to support this issue.
“While we have seen progress, the daily reality of at-risk children can seem like a conspiracy to destroy their dreams,” wrote Mrs. Powell and Gen. Powell in the letter.
“Improving the lives and futures of children is a moral, social, and economic imperative in our country,” they wrote. “The well-being of children should be the common-ground commitment of our national life.”
To read the full letter and learn more about how you can join the #Recommit2Kids campaign, visit www.Recommit2Kids.org.
