Sunday, January 16, 2011

Walk in Peace



Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. Today we are celebrating him. I interrupted my daughter and her friend in the middle of a game and asked, "Why do we celebrate Martin Luther King?" Here are snippets from their response:

"He made it so everyone can be together... He changed our lives so blacks and whites can go to the same schools, same bathrooms and same shoe store...so black people don't have to sit in the back of the bus...he had a dream for blacks and whites to be together."

They spoke passionately and elaborated about the time he and his father went into a shoe store and refused to sit in the designated section, and then were sent out without being able to buy shoes. I love how girls remember this story and feel the injustice when it comes to not being allowed to buy the shoes of your choice.

We are grateful for Martin Luther King's courage and conviction. Because of him and other noteworthy predecessors and followers, most of us can peacefully walk in the shoes of our choice and anywhere we desire.

1 comment:

Terri said...

Thankfully, we can appreciate what Martin Luther King, Jr. enabled us to do as a bi-racial family...to walk in peace, all the while hoping to educate others who still may remain small-minded. My beautiful grandson Joe, tragically lost his life in October 2010 at the hands of those who still held an ignorant insight of equality...