Remembering When

I always sit back and remember on this day, Martin Luther King Junior Day. I have always had a lot of respect for the man, for standing up and voicing his opinion when it was not okay to do so. I also have a lot of respect for Rosa Parks, for not giving up her bus seat, for standing up not only for her race, but for her gender. I remember when I heard that Rosa Parks had passed, I cried. I cried because she was an amazing woman and so humble on top of it all. The world lost a great woman that day, and the pain was only slightly less when I found out that she was going to be lying in state in DC. At least the government took a few moments from worrying about themselves to think of someone else. I remember learning so much about Martin Luther King Junior and Rosa Parks in grade school. We were taught to have the utmost resect for them, and in an area where racism runs rampant, that was a true accomplishment of the teachers. Every class had a display about Martin Luther King Junior and Rosa Parks. The entire school memorized the famous "I Have a Dream" speech, and we wrote and wrote and wrote about Black History and the impact that Martin Luther King Junior and Rosa Parks had on the structure of America.

Sadly though, that is a thing of the past, at least around here it is. All of the schools are in session today, there is very little taught about Martin Luther King Junior, Black History, and Rosa Parks. I asked C last week if she learned about Martin Luther King Junior, Black History, or Rosa Parks. She looked at me and asked "Who?" I tried again, by asking her about the "I Have a Dream" speech, she told me about a dream she had about Bratz. It's sad really. The lack of respect for these amazing people and the lack of importance placed on their contributions to not only America, but the world.

So please, if you have children, speak to them about these important and influential people. If you are racist, do it anyways. Your children deserve only the best and that includes them learning about important, influential people and how they shaped America. Put your own feelings aside and just do it.

Peace