Innocence

Yesterday my 5-year-old daughter wanted to know why today is a holiday. I told her it was Martin Luther King Jr. day, and explained that he gets a special day because he was a good person, and he helped people to be nicer to each other... I wasn't sure how--or if I wanted to-explain more. Right now she doesn't seem to see a difference between us and our Peruvian neighbors, or the black girl at school (I kind-of wish we had a little more ethnic diversity in our little corner of the world). I didn't want to tell her that people used to (and still do) hate people because they look different. I don't want her to know--yet--that black people were slaves, and that even after they were "freed" they had to go to different schools, different churches, etc. etc... that our Cherokee ancestors were forced to leave their homes because some people thought they weren't as human as they were, and didn't deserve to be treated the same as others. I don't want her to start looking at people differently.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

That's still the dream, isn't it? Although, you could add a lot to that... I have a dream that someday people will be judged not by their skin color, weight, religion, the size of their bank account, the clothes they wear... but by the content of their character. It's a lot harder though, isn't it? It's a lot easier to look at a person and decide whether or not you like them based on something you can see, then to get to know them... to understand them...

*sigh* Sometimes this world makes me feel a little sad. But, in the area of equality for African Americans, I think we have made progress. Congratulations, Dr. King.