Over 90 percent of Americans view themselves as caregivers—whether child, parent or neighbor. We need public investment in the care economy to build a culture rooted in rest, mental health, and caring for a neighbor without risking your income.
People are hurting in so many ways that I no longer expect kindness or joy. The U.S. demonstrates what we care about through the policies it enacts and retracts, and we don’t seem to have the capacity to invest in care.
(This essay is being re-spotlighted, part of an ongoing essay collection presented by Ms. and Groundswell Fund featuring the voices of grassroots organizers building power at the intersections of gender and racial justice. As national attention once again turns to the urgent need for investments in childcare, paid leave, and the broader care economy, the writers reminds us that building a truly gender-just democracy starts with valuing care work—and the people who do it.)