Today I posted on Instagram:
How will you teach your babes about MLK? This is a question I ask myself every single year, multiple times a year, but especially on this day. ⠀⠀
In college I took a few classes, predominantly a Civil Rights Rhetoric class, that showed me a totally different and heartbreaking American experience for people of color. The wisdom I took away from open dialogue with my classmates, along with dissecting endless civil rights speeches, changed me forever.⠀⠀There has been so much progress in our nation, but systematic racism continues to impact our communities. 50 years after Dr. King, it is up to our generation to keep pressing forward with open dialogue to learn more, love more, and achieve total reconciliation.
Today and every day, I’m thankful for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream that his four little children would one day live in a nation where they would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.⠀I believe Dr. King's words were wise beyond his years and God-driven too. I'm thankful he started the dialogue surrounding racial injustices from a place of love, and I believe it's up to each of us to continue this dialogue with our children so that history does not repeat itself.⠀⠀Each year on this day I set aside time to read the books below with my littles about Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and others who made great strides for racial equality.
I am Martin Luther King, Jr. (Ordinary People Change the World)
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am Rosa Parks (Ordinary People Change the World)
I am Jackie Robinson (Ordinary People Change the World)
I am Harriet Tubman (Ordinary People Change the World)
I pray that God gives my babes eyes to see like Him and a deep, genuine love for all of humanity just like He has given me.⠀
Let’s chat a bit in the comments. How do you open dialogue on MLK Day with your children? What about with friends, co-workers, etc.? I would love to hear from you!
xo,
Samantha
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