Logan fourth grader starts campaign against racism
A 9-year-old Logan resident is trying to fight against racism by raising money to give every fourth grader in Logan a t-shirt that says, “Racism Ends with My Generation.”
Jessica Loveland, Avalin Loveland’s mother, said Avalin had the idea for the campaign* the evening George Floyd was killed by a police officer.
“Avalin had heard about racist acts before that and it was kind of the final straw for her,” Loveland said. “She was very motivated to do something.”
Avalin said the current events made her feel “sad and frustrated.”
“I wanted to take a stand for what is right,” she said. “We can stand up for what’s right by being allies and helping others.”
As for the difficulty of the campaign, Avalin laughed and said the hardest part has been writing emails.
“It hasn’t been scary,” she said, “because I know that even if people aren’t making nice comments about it, that won’t stop me from doing the right thing.”
Loveland said the campaign is through indiegogo.com, where people can donate by buying stickers and t-shirts that have a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. on them.
“Donated funds will go straight to making t-shirts at this point,” she said. “If someone purchases a perk on indiegogo they can get a shirt or sticker, but the remainder of their money will go towards making a t-shirt for a kid.”
Loveland said she is proud of her daughter.
“I applaud my daughter for doing something,” she said. “I am proud she wants something better for the future and am inspired by her hope.”
Loveland added that she encourages and supports her kids when they want to stand up for what’s right.
“I don’t believe I did anything parenting wise but encouraged her and let her do it. I don’t want to stand in the way or push my kid into something, but if they want to do it then I will do what I can to support them.”
*The Utah Statesman does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the purposes described. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.