Season 5, Ep. 5, Kindness is Action with Kaitlin, co-founder, Kind Cotton
Kaitlin and Kevin Johnstone, co-founders of Kind Cotton
Kindness must move beyond pleasantries and root us in action and justice. Mom and I chat with Kaitlin Johnstone, co-founder of Kind Cotton and former educator; she and her husband, Kevin, are on a mission to bring 1 million inclusive books to kids with every purchase of a Kind Cotton tee, tote bag or other product. Kind Cotton uplifts the work of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ children’s authors, along with books focused on social emotional learning. “What we are putting out into the world are our values, " Kaitlin says.
Throughout this episode, we discuss what sparked the creation of Kind Cotton, the ways kindness is weaponized, and why moving beyond this is essential for collective liberation, building authentic community, centering inclusive education, and modeling social justice and activism for our kids. We also dive into Kaitlin’s journey of discovering she is neurodivergent, and the importance of radical self care for activists.
There are many ways you can support the work of Kind Cotton - join their Tee of the Month Club, and receive a brand new, discounted Kind Cotton release monthly. You can also purchase inclusive children’s books on their website and gift them to the kids in your life, or donate monthly to make sure kids all over the country receive access to a diverse array of books. And stay connected with the Kind Cotton community on social media through Instagram and TikTok.
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Special thank you to my husband Keston De Coteau, for podcast production; he is an award-winning videographer and photographer.