Monday was the day that our country commemorates the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Due to the holiday, there has recently been a lot of coverage about his life and his famous "I have a dream" speech. As I was preparing dinner one night this week, I was alternating between listening to the television and talking with Anderson who was sitting at the counter and checking over some homework. I didn't even realize he was paying any attention to what was on the television until I heard him say, "That's Martin Luther King!" I looked at the television and acknowledged that he had correctly identified him when he said something that brought all of my food preparation to a halt and left me momentarily speechless with tears in my eyes. "I love him," he said, in the most sincere and reverent tone. "What he did for black people....", his voice trailed off. Be still, my heart.
Gratitude and pride simultaneously flooded my soul. I was so thankful that he knew about and could appreciate the enormous contribution Dr. King made to this country, not just on behalf of black Americans but for all of us. I was proud of the boy that he is who can understand that contribution without really ever witnessing the injustice that blacks have had to overcome. Since Anderson loves history, particularly war history, we have had many talks about slavery and racism. I remember having a conversation about this when he was younger, and he was appalled as we explained that black people were mistreated, even killed, simply because of the color of their skin. The idea that this could happen in America was so foreign to him, almost unbelievable except for the fact that he trusts that what we tell him is true.
As we sat there, listening to Dr. King's speech, I realized that so much of what he longed for came to pass before his generation passed away. Have we completely eradicated racism? No, and we should keep fighting until we do. But, to quote an old cigarette commercial, "We've come a long way, baby." When my son saw Dr. King on television, Anderson didn't think about the color of his skin. Instead, he truly thought about the content of his character, based on the fruit of his life. And he admired and respected him. In his words--he loved him. And wasn't this what Dr. King was dreaming of?
"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. "
Well, Dr. King, today I am thankful that this dream has been fulfilled and for my little boy who showed me just how far we've come.
1 comment:
You sure do have some sweet boys, don't you? Kiss them for me.
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