“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.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have written recently
about the progress this country has to make on its journey towards equality.
We have to ensure that every citizen can walk the street with the assurance
that neither their appearance nor their skin color will invite their murder in
cold blood. We have to work hard to ensure that every child goes to bed in a
safe neighborhood and has had enough to eat. We have to create policies that
ensure that mothers do not have to choose between keeping their jobs and their
own health or the health of their babies immediately after having children.
We have not overcome, but we have made real progress
Indeed,
our nation has great strides to make. Unfortunately, like Dr. King said
over fifty years ago, “the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the
manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” That
said, even though we have not overcome we owe it to our ancestors and ourselves
to acknowledge that we have made real progress.
"[E]ven though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream" -Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am not
dreaming about my children having better opportunities than my grandparents
had. I am living it.
I rejoice whenever I have a day off to spend with my kids. Today, I took my daughter
to the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum like I often do. However today I was moved
by what I experienced. We had a good time and today I did not take that for
granted.
We entered through the front door. The workers were welcoming and helpful. They greeted us with warm
smiles. The other patrons were nice. They smiled and chatted with me.
I wound up engaging in a conversation
with a young White mother about her brood of four. We made a real connection. We talked. We complimented our kids. We were simply parents at the museum. I learned that she’s a working mom too! She's a Kindergarten teacher whose
mother-in-law and mother help her with childcare
. She also said that her husband is great. I met him and he's also handsome!
Being able to freely play with children of other races is a blessing
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
My daughter played without
fear or interference. She did what she wanted to do how she wanted to do it. And I calmly watched, completely amused by her. We were just a mom and a daughter enjoying the day together. She played with children of different backgrounds and they were not intimidated by color, instead they enjoyed one another and played.
"I have a dream that one day...little black boys
and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white
girls as sisters and brothers". -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Yes, there are so many
things this country could do to improve. However, today, at the Children’s
Museum, White children and Black children were playing together. White parents and Black parents were chatting. Everybody had a good time. And I was encouraged. I hope that you are encouraged
by this post and you work to make Dr. King's dream a reality.
Happy MLK Day.
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