<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Linked Arms]]></title><description><![CDATA[Linked Arms]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 22:30:00 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/es/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Our Labor of Love Continues]]></title><description><![CDATA[Our Linked Arms Queens, As Labor Day has come and gone, let us remember the space and time in which we stand today—held within the hearts, arms, and enduring legacy of those who came before us. Their courage, sacrifices, wisdom, and love helped make room for our voices and our possibilities. During this season, let us take a moment to pause, breathe, embrace, and honor. Honor the hands that worked, the shoulders that carried families, and the hearts that believed a better future was possible....]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/our-labor-of-love-continues</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa17076abc57d985b9b34e4</guid><pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:48:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_ee1ec83a86b445988b560019add943e2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[250 Years Later: A Conversation Among Sisters]]></title><description><![CDATA[My Dear Linked Arms Queens, As our nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, I find myself sitting with a question that is much older than Fireworks, Parades, and Ceremonial displays. What does freedom mean to a people whose ancestors helped build a nation that did not yet see them as fully human? The question is not new. Frederick Douglass asked it in 1852 when he delivered his famous speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” He stood before a nation celebrating...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/250-years-later-a-conversation-among-sisters</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a451fcf5af2dd52aa962a3e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 05:02:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_af239b3e76bf4db3b3c11e22c9984d89~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[This is a Dedication to Mothers who Give Birth Beyond the Womb]]></title><description><![CDATA[This past Sunday marked the beginning of the celebration of motherhood across the land. Yet, as I sit in many spaces with women across the diaspora of motherhood, I am reminded that this story is far greater than one definition.   Scripture shows us women who longed for children but were placed in seasons of waiting. We see Sarah, who waited for decades. Hannah, who cried out from the depths of her grief. Elizabeth, who was called righteous before God. And Rachel, whose longing is remembered...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/this-is-a-dedication-to-mothers-who-give-birth-beyond-the-womb</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a04810d68a3e7adcb156bd2</guid><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_4feaa970a76b46819f2dace02f8aaa6f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_630,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Downstream but Not Powerless: A Call for Child Care Queens to Rise]]></title><description><![CDATA[✨ To my Linked Arms Queens, early learning educators, center directors, family child care providers, and every community anchor holding families together: We are not just caregivers. We are stabilizers. We are first responders for families. We are economic infrastructure. We are the quiet backbone of our neighborhoods. When federal policy shifts, it does not stay in Washington, D.C. It  reaches into our classrooms, our reimbursement rates, our food programs, our compliance requirements, and...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/downstream-but-not-powerless-a-call-for-child-care-queens-to-rise</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a777135f34dbe2951eeedb</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:06:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_1453b4a83f0f426c87baea9ffab5b57a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_787,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Black History Month: Rooted in Legacy, Moving in Power]]></title><description><![CDATA[✨  Our History, Our Power, Our Call A message to Linked Arms Queens From Mary Curry, Co-President, Linked ARMS Association Queens, As we step into Black History Month , I want to pause with intention and speak directly to you —the women who hold families together, build systems where none existed, and show up every day with courage, wisdom, and love. Black History Month is not just a moment on the calendar. It is a living reminder  that our stories matter, our labor matters, and our...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/black-history-month-rooted-in-legacy-moving-in-power</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6983b95b799fda16f2e44599</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:27:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_94293049723b4cb2a33c40ecb4a61adc~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_630,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Declaration of Civic Stewardship]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Welcome to the Queendom: A Declaration of Civic Stewardship and Community Restoration” Welcome to the Queendom Dear Queens of the Linked Arms Communities, Welcome to the Queendom —a sacred circle of women who build, hold, protect, and restore community with wisdom, courage, and grace. I write to you today grounded in honor  for who you are and reverence  for the role you carry. A Queen is not defined by a crown, but by responsibility. Queens stabilize homes. Queens carry memory. Queens...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/declaration-of-civic-stewardship</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696eec8dc7890172bd2d3cb8</guid><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 02:50:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_dab59e15fcdb45f3973008046391738d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Queens Who Carry The Dream]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dear LINKED ARMS (ADOES) Queens, On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I write to you not only to honor Dr. King—but to intentionally  honor Coretta Scott King , a woman whose voice, vision, and discipline carried the movement when the cost was highest and the road most uncertain. Coretta once said: “Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.” She understood something deeply personal and profoundly political: that justice is not a moment—it is a lifetime commitment...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/queens-who-carry-the-dream</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696f98228979dee6278fbc3b</guid><pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 16:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_6aa25ed68b764b588cc056ccc724ec09~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[To My Queens of Linked Arms]]></title><description><![CDATA[In Dedication to Ms. Lois Martin When I began writing blogs for the Queens of Linked Arms, my daughter once said, “Mom, when people see your dashes—and all your dots… it looks like AI is writing for you.” I laughed at first, but then I paused—because this tone, these pauses, these dots and dashes… this is me. This is how I think, how I process, how I breathe on paper. As  Black women, we code-switch in so many ways just to be understood, just to be heard. And now—one more thing—I found myself...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/to-my-queens-of-linked-arms</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6904bbfcbb9a5281a8a84a26</guid><pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:41:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_6771f29a18d54e84bd773e821a467c90~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Honoring Our Fearless Queens]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dear Linked Arms Family, In these challenging times, we begin by honoring the “Fearless Queens”  of our community – the strong Black women (the African Descendants of Enslaved) who lead, nurture, and uplift our families every day. We see you persevering through hardship and caring for our children despite uncertainty. Your strength and grace continue to light our path forward. “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.”  — Maya Angelou This powerful quote resonates with our...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/honoring-our-fearless-queens</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f3a1f9a6f2484f3c966c53</guid><pubDate>Sat, 18 Oct 2025 14:22:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_e358ac9aad7441aa8e9eb8c35a469f72~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Reflection for Linked Arms]]></title><description><![CDATA[Queens, A Story of Resilience from Altadena Dear Beautiful Queens, As Early Learning Educators, we know what it means to pour ourselves...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/a-reflection-for-linked-arms</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68c31efdf8374b522200f1a2</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:13:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_157c58f10c8c41fe85f750f6a537d220~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Welcome to the Queendom]]></title><description><![CDATA[Beloved Queens, This Labor Day, I write to you not just as a holiday reminder, but as a reckoning with our past and present. The New York...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/welcome-to-the-queendom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68b5ac49b4f7fa41b81b5d57</guid><pubDate>Mon, 01 Sep 2025 14:24:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_323995636d6c421eb1e35f50531f8d84~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Linked Arms Nationwide Policy Brief]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Queens, Open Your Mouth!” A National Call to Action Against Gerrymandering and the Silencing of Our Communities Date:  August 2025 From...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/linked-arms-nationwide-policy-brief</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68973937768338cd600e2f18</guid><pubDate>Sat, 09 Aug 2025 12:10:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_9b4277db710f4cbea5f53b2b8220983d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Straighten Your Crown: A Message to Queens on This July 4th]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today, the United States celebrates its independence from British rule. The fireworks are flying, the parades are marching, and the red,...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/straighten-your-crown</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68688a73d7f2edd2bbae60de</guid><pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 02:18:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_3f250e2274f64081bd456b3e837a3952~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_945,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Black Women: Pioneers of the Labor Movement ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Prepared for Linked Arms (ADOES) Family Child Care Association Members and AFRAM  Members of SEIU 925 By Mary Curry, Co-President, Linked...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/black-women-pioneers-of-the-labor-movement</link><guid isPermaLink="false">685b23f36bc466be99331ce5</guid><pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_b8485c41b3c94fb68b7299947cc3e41d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_945,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ A Juneteenth Reflection – From One Queen to Another]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dear Queens of Linked ARMS, As we move through this Juneteenth season, I want to pause and hold space with you—not just for what this...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/a-juneteenth-reflection-from-one-queen-to-another</link><guid isPermaLink="false">685b2308d2c786af5d58e6ba</guid><pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2025 22:13:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_d0a3ebbea93b456cb071b88169fc2e1c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_945,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Remembering with Power: The True Origins &#38; Evolution of Memorial Day]]></title><description><![CDATA[THEY KNOW THE TRUTH. WHY DON'T YOU? (Dedicated to My Dear Sister, Shirley McElroy Ray) Dear QUEENS , As we move through the seasons of...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/remembering-with-power-the-true-origins-evolution-of-memorial-day</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6833b246d575207f49188e4d</guid><pubDate>Mon, 26 May 2025 00:13:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_1d74f06124724ba49cc92a41ee5e4600~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_630,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Missing Birth Certificate Is More Than Paperwork]]></title><description><![CDATA[During the 1950s and 60s, many Black mothers were denied entry to hospitals or relegated to segregated wards. Babies were born at home or...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/a-missing-birth-certificate-is-more-than-paperwork</link><guid isPermaLink="false">681b746538b0751e3d2df927</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 14:56:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_4162f9ecf1ce488584b01aa4d9e608b5~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Queendom Votes: Legacy, Leadership, and the 92% Impact]]></title><description><![CDATA[When we hear that 92% of Black women show up at the ballot box, it’s easy to let it pass as another impressive statistic. But those of us...]]></description><link>https://www.linkedarmsassociation.org/post/92-percent-impact</link><guid isPermaLink="false">681a059630aede3a86269b66</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2025 12:50:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/487a12_806af6090af449f69db7326d62d20702~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_787,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Curry</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>