The RiceDaddies Empowerment in Diversity Challenge

Rice Daddies Challenge

SoulSnax from Rice Daddies sent me this awesome activist initiative that the Rice Daddies have been working on: the RiceDaddies Empowerment in Diversity challenge.  They raise money for educational purposes in order to teach our kids culture and leadership and to instill our kids with self-love.  I think they’re the only Asian American internet site which has such an initiative.  From their site:

With that in mind, The RiceDaddies Empowerment in Diversity Challenge aims to mitigate the marginalizing effects of diversity-negligent pop culture and media by funding innovative educational programs that do the following:

• Promote positive images of ourselves for our children
• Promote positive images of ourselves for other people and their children
• Develop skills in our children that empower them to be leaders in the world in which we live
• Promote pride in one’s culture instead of shame
• Promote self-respect and appreciation for others like ourselves
• Develop our children’s ability to use their imaginations in an empowering way
• Encourage our children to be who they truly are

I think it’s awesome that they’re doing this.  As someone who has experience in fundraising and knocking on doors, I know that sometimes the best ideas fail to reach fruition because they’re underfunded.  The most noble causes fall before they even begin because organizations don’t have the money and generous individuals don’t know how to channel their money into meaningful change.  By spearheading a program to get money from people who have it to those who need it, they’re effectively making sure that we support the higher needs of the community.

There are a number of things that I personally like about their initiative.  First, they bypass the large charities and focus directly on those in need.  This cuts the risk of losing the narrative about why we give to these causes.  Second, they’re taking “internet activism” (if it really exists) and using it to channel resources.  It affects people on the ground level.  Third, they’re focusing on a higher need.  In my opinion, not enough Asian American organizations focus on higher needs.  Lower needs–feeding people, creating homes, fighting for immigration rights–is important, but we need to also focus on those looking to achieve and to influence minds.

SoulSnax recently added a new challenge here, which focuses on media literacy.  Check them out!

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