Andre Konda

He/Him/His

Hi Everyone, hope y’all have a wonderful day. My name is Andre Konda and I live in New York City. I’m a father of two beautiful daughters and a husband of a wonderful and smartest wife ever. I’m currently enrolled in a Master Program at John Jay college for a Law program. I’m also a full me advocate Ambassador for CARES. My goals it’s to be a successful lawyer, businessman, husband, and a wonderful example for my Kids. This goal is important for me due to the fact that I want to not only be a source of motivation for my family but also for those that usually have a hard time to believing in themselves based on their current situation or sometimes lack of support. I used to be one of those kids that was looking for support but unfortunately didn’t know where to start due to a lack of information that I had and also the boundaries of the language. Being able to be part of that project will help others to not only improve the systems but also make sure to put in the table any issue that doesn’t help the welfare sys ems to get better the ways it’s supposed to. CARES project is important for older youth because the project will revolutionize the whole system and also provide better support and opportunities for those that need change and support. When I’m not at school or working on my personal goals and projects, I usually spend the time with my family or sometimes watching a couple YouTube videos to increase my knowledge in different areas of life. That’s why: “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Marcus Garvey

#CARES4Power

Follow us on Instagram to learn more about our work, the CARES Ambassadors, and the policies we are building to advance change for all transition age youth.

When woven into practice, cultural humility includes:
- An examination of one's own biases.
- Open dialogue with families.
- Proactive efforts to level the playing field and address systemic inequities.

While race and culture are not synonymous, cultural humility with a racial equity lens can help address the stark racial disparities in the [child welfare] system and promote attention to the intersections of race and other cultural identities. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
#classisinsession #KeyEquityTerms #CARES #CARESAmbassadors #Equity #CulturalHumility #ChildWelfare
Skin-based privilege impacts all of our lives. Showing preference based on color is referred to as colorism. Colorism is based on a hierarchy of skin color, giving privilege to lighter skin tones while disempowering darker skin tones. Research suggests that colorism continues to be a problem across the US. According to The Grio, a study in Michigan found that out of 1,183 adoptive families, 42% of the adoptive parents' most recently adopted children were "very fair or somewhat fair" in skin color. At the same time, 31 percent were "somewhat dark or very dark." 
.
.
.
.
#classisinsession #KeyEquityTerms #CARES #CARESAmbassadors #Equity #Colorism #ChildWelfare
Happy Friday! Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate") generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance. Cultural practices and values promote family well-being and improve child welfare outcomes. Strong ties with cultural, racial, and ethnic identities can build resilience and act as a buffer against the effects of trauma. 

This series aims to expand the reach and use of many terms that appear in our work, lives, and communities.
.
.
.
.
#classisinsession #KeyEquityTerms #CARES #CARESAmbassadors #Equity #Culture #ChildWelfare
Happy Friday! We're back with our "Key Equity Term" Series; today's Key Equity Term is ✨Discrimination✨. This series aims to expand the reach and use of many terms that appear in our work, lives, and communities. 

Discrimination fact: According to the American Bar Association, "Racial discrimination in U.S. child welfare is a human rights issue. On August 30, 2022, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), a group of international experts charged with monitoring state compliance with human rights obligations on racial discrimination, expressed concern at the 'disproportionate number of children of racial and ethnic minorities removed from their families and placed in foster care' in the U.S. Stay tuned for new terms in the coming weeks, and if you have additions — let us know!
.
.
.
. 
#Discrimination #classisinsession #KeyEquityTerms #CARES #CARESAmbassadors #KeyTerms #Wordoftheday #WOTD