She's Letting Her Feet Do The Talking: MB Local Asks For Pledges

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — When she laces up her walking shoes and steps outside to begin her weeklong journey, Manhattan Beach resident Madeline Taylor will be stepping up — stepping up and putting miles on her feet to raise funds for the Equal Justice Initiative. The 23-year-old unemployed elementary school English teacher is unable to participate physically in protests on the streets and decided to take matters into her own hands and hold a virtual Equal Justice Initiative A-Thon as a way to contribute.

Taylor is immunocompromised "so I, unfortunately, cannot be going out to protest, though I so wish I could be out there!" she told MB Patch. "I am also 'funemployed' right now, so I had to come up with a way to put my resources together and still 'do my part' so to speak." For Taylor, that means completing a week of walks, every day covering about 10 miles. Her walks will be broken up during the day and she will have socially distanced comrades walking with her, including her dog, her parents, her friends. Her best friend Kristen Spence is walking with her as a participant.

Taylor's fundraising walk began today (Monday, June 15) and lasts through Sunday, June 21. Pledges can be made online anytime throughout the week. So far, she has raised $561 and is moving toward her original goal of $1,000. She has been further inspired by a sign she saw recently. It read, "As a white man, I can never walk a mile in a black man's shoes. But I can lace up mine, walk beside him, and say, 'I stand with you.'"

She chose to support EJI but it wasn't an easy decision. "I was struggling to decide which organization to support — there are so many great orgs out there in need of the love and attention they deserve, especially right now," said Taylor. "Equal Justice Initiative has not, at least in the lists I've seen on Instagram and in news articles, been as highlighted as other organizations like the Minnesota Freedom Fund, Know Your Rights Camp. For me, EJI really stands for three social justice issues that are of utmost importance to me — ending mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality."

Donations can be made online.