Audio Nuggets welcomes Shrounda Selivanoff to the cypher, in this episode titled “Family Is Not Important, It’s Everything.” Shrounda is a Mother, a Grandmother, a family justice warrior and a longtime friend, and partner of Mining For Gold in the quest for racial justice, belonging, and liberation.

In this episode, Shrounda shares her humanity in describing the impact that the coercive nature of the violent family policing system has had on her family’s life. In this conversation, Shrounda shares that one coercive tactic of the family policing system’s goal is to erase family history, and ultimately extinguish hope for parents.

We examine and ask why this violent system tears children apart from blood lines, and family. In her activism for change,  Shrounda spearheaded House Bill 1747: “Keeping Families Together” in Washington state, which would encourage guardianships over termination of parental rights when possible. This proposed legislation comes from the Keeping Families Together Coalition (KFTC). According to the Keeping Families Together: HB 1747 Black and Brown families are especially vulnerable — in Washington, Indigenous children are 2.7 times more likely and Black children are 2.4 times more likely than white children to experience the termination of both parents’ rights.

Shrounda reminds the audience to always remain hopeful, filled with integrity, and to always center the conversation in family.  She is waiting, watching, and is activated as we are constantly building our legacy. How are you going to live in your power and write your page in history?