Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 2021)
September 22, 2021 Page 9 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. O PINION Making My Child’s Life Better What the expanded Child Tax Credit means to me by La’Shon Marshall I remember finding out I was about to become a mother. I felt the fear tak- ing hold of me. My brain stopped. I remember cry- ing but had no tears. I remember trying to run, but I couldn’t move. No one had prepared me for motherhood — my own mother abandoned me when I wasn’t even two years old. My child’s father was violently abusive. My life was unstable and I was terrified of having another human being de- pend on me. Things are so much better now. My son Caleb is starting kinder- garten, and he’s the light of my life. We’ve been through so much together, but we’re making it. One thing that’s helping more than words can express is the new, expanded Child Tax Credit. Passed as part of the Biden admin- istration’s COVID-19 relief pack- age, it puts money into our bank account — and the bank account of nearly every parent in this country — every month. That credit is on track to lift half of all kids living in poverty out of it, including mine. That will help them lead safer, happier lives well into adulthood. My own early childhood was filled with trauma. After our mother left us, my fa- ther had to take care of all of us children. He did his best, but he didn’t know how to access social services for us. When he got sick, we lost everything. We ended up living in a tent “village” under a bridge, where I had to cook for 50 people for the next seven years. I was just a child. I was afraid of people on the street, students at school, even of being around others where I lived. When I acted out and skipped school, I was incarcerated in ju- venile detention for truancy. The years that followed saw cycle af- ter cycle of abuse, instability, and trauma. But eventually, I found help. At age 18 and on the run, I got a job at a homeless shelter called Cov- enant House and moved in there. They helped me get an ID and taught me about social services and how to get them. I never knew help existed for someone like me. I became a team leader there and my life started to change. Now I’m an advocate with a nonprofit called RESULTS, which trains and sup- ports people to fight for policies that help families like mine sur- vive and thrive. Along the way I’ve learned something really important: Many of us who grew up in abusive situ- ations simply don’t have access to mental health services, so we find ourselves in abusive relationships as adults. And many others who experience the trauma of pover- ty simply don’t know how to get help. Before the COVID-19 relief package, I would never have been able to access the Child Tax Cred- it — I was simply too poor. And complex paperwork and bureau- cratic requirements put other help out of reach, too. But now families like mine, and every other family with kids, get life-changing help deposited di- rectly into their bank accounts. I can’t tell you how much of a dif- ference this makes. Thanks to the Child Tax Cred- it, Caleb won’t suffer the tremen- dous trauma that I did as a child. His life will be better. He’ll have the love and economic support he needs to thrive. We are the wealthiest nation on earth, but too often we’ve abandoned our poorest children like my mother abandoned me. But if we have the political will, we can make more smart eco- nomic choices like these to give all children a safe and secure childhood. Not only will Caleb thrive, but we as a whole society will. La’Shon Marshall lives in De- troit and is an advocate and Ex- pert on Poverty at RESULTS Ed- ucational Fund. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org. We are Open! 3901 N. Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR 97227 P: 503.281.0453 Fax 503.281.3408 Web: www.sunlanlighting.com E-mail: kay@sunlanlighting.com 5010 NE 9th Ave Portland, Or 97211 Phone: 503 284-2989 We specialize in a variety of cuts for men and women, hot towel razor shaves, braiding, hair extension, Shampoo, blow dryer and Platinum fade. Call Today or Walk in !!! Avalon Flowers 520 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97204 • 503-796-9250 A full service flower experience Cori Stewart-- Owner, Operator • Birthdays • Anniversaries • Funerals • Weddings Open: Mon.-Fri. 7:30am til 5:30pm Saturday 9am til 2pm. Website: avalonflowerspdx.com email: avalonflowers@msn.com We Offer Wire Services Subscribe ! 503-288-0033 Fill Out & Send To: Attn: Subscriptions, PO Box 3137, Portland OR 97208 $45.00 for 3 months • $80.00 for 6 mo. • $125.00 for 1 year (please include check with this subscription form) Name: Telephone: Address: or email subscriptions@portlandobserver.com
