This is a powerful and accessible guiding principle for families. Let’s teach our children to make a habit of standing up ––or taking a knee–– against injustice.

At first, it will probably feel uncomfortable. That’s natural. However, as muscle memory kicks in, it will become second nature.

Teach your children to speak out in the face of injustice in real time, not after the fact. Model speaking with kindness and empathy. Create bonds with people different from yourselves. Participate in volunteer opportunities, big or small, knowing that even small gestures make an impact.

You never know what can come from the conversations with your kids about the challenges we face. The idea for an app was sparked when our four children ranging from a baby to elementary school age participated in last winter’s Women’s March in Redwood City and the Travel Ban protests at SFO. Inspired by many of the signs carried by protestors, they came up with the idea of building WalkWoke. WalkWoke helps you create, share, and/or print beautiful and impactful protest signs. This platform enables people to use art not only to promote empathy but also to cultivate an inclusive environment.

Our civil rights moment is now. I’m calling on parents across the nation to model what it means to be a concerned, informed, and active citizen. Instead of wringing our hands about the challenges of parenting in the age of Trump, we can and must empower ourselves to take a stand. Not so long ago, complacency didn’t seem so terrible. Now we know that complacency threatens the fundamental values of our democratic society.