MLK Day

Today is MLK Day and not only are the kids out of school, but it is a day we celebrate a great man, Martin Luther King Jr.  In the car today I was talking to Connor, he asked if his new shoes would be in the mail when we got home, I told him no, that we were not getting any mail today because it was a holiday.  He asked what kind, and I said MLK Day, he said like Christmas?  I said well just like Christmas when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday, today we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.  He then went on to ask why, and my response was that he was very powerful man who did a lot to get black people the same rights so they were able to do the same things white people did. He turned to me and asked well who are black people?  I said they are all around us at school, church, the stores, our neighbors and family members. His next question brought light of how truly racism isn't an aspect in his life, he asked well then what color are we? and I said we are white. He sat there for a minute and thought about it, then looked up and asked what his brother was. My response was Hispanic, and he said well like brown? I told him he could look at it that way because he was not white or black. I told him that it didn’t matter what color anyone’s skin was because we are all made up of the exact same things on the inside.  I know until that moment that he had never looked at anyone as in what color they were, just as EVERYONE should. If only everyone could see through the eyes of an innocent 4 year old.