Confession: In the past, I've barely celebrated the MLK holiday, much like Flag Day and Christopher Columbus Day to me. While I consider myself always respectful of the holiday and what it stands for, the third Monday of January rarely impacted me deeply.
This year I cried.
While no one person will never agree with another one person 100 percent, I am eternally, intensely grateful for the courageous men and women who challenged the status quo and championed the heart of God. Because of God's intervention in their bravery and commitment, I can call my daughter mine.
To me, MLK Day is more than celebrating the life of one influential man, but respecting and remembering the movement to bring people from a tangible and invisible slavery to freedom and acceptance. It is important to remember the ugliness of racism in our country and its effects. If we forget history, then we are only a breath away from repeating it. If we think we are too evolved, too good, too "moved on," to remember, then we are one step closer to landing where we began.
Yes, racism, prejudice, and hatred still fill the world in various masquerades and blatant attacks and always will; BUT, I am beyond thankful my Anna is growing up in a era where the color of her skin is less of an issue. When I think about explaining to her the shameful treatment of African-Americans in our country's history, my heart hurts. When she tells me she doesn't understand how this could happen, I will concur. I only pray it never happens again.
1 comment:
Didn't see this until today, but I am also grateful for Martin Luther King, Jr. A perfect man? No. But a leader who made a difference? Absolutely. King's work didn't eliminate racism, of course, but it did make white Americans sit up and take notice. He was in a position to start an all-out race war if he chose (in fact, some militant black leaders were urging him to do just that), but he chose a non-violent approach that eventually put an end to "whites only" drinking fountains, restaurants, and a million other things. His efforts forced those in power to take action. He made our world different for children like Anna and parents like yourself. For that, we can be thankful.
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