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The Impact Of Civil Unrest On Early Childhood Programs and Schools

2020 was a year of unprecedented turmoil and civil unrest. There were at least 32 major riots and countless other smaller protests throughout the country during the last seven months of 2020. These incidents left 25 dead, thousands injured, hundreds of businesses destroyed, and property damage in the billions of dollars.

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Sadly, the trend has continued into the first few weeks of 2021, with violent events in cities that include Washington D.C., Seattle, Portland, and Denver. We have seen over 25,000 National Guard troops deployed to Washington D.C., and businesses boarding up or temporarily closing in many cities.


Gun Violence Increased In 2020

What also lingers over from 2020 is the historic number of legal gun sales and the dramatic rise in burglaries to gun stores, putting thousands of illegal guns on the street. While the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed or eliminated many activities from our daily lives, gun violence and mass shootings have continued at a record pace.


The first three weeks of 2021 have the following grim numbers:

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  • There have been 26 mass shootings (categorized as four or more people shot).

  • Fifteen children (ages 0-11) have been killed and 29 more injured due to gun violence.

  • The media has rarely given any coverage to any of these tragic events.