Thank you, Dr. King

When I was a high school student, a national holiday was established to honor Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. My principal, however, chose not to recognize the special occasion. We went to school as usual, and I was puzzled. I knew that there must be something about this man that warranted recognition, but nobody talked about him. I guess he was too controversial in 1986, even for Western Pennsylvania.

I attended college in Nashville, Tennessee and studied about Dr. King. I learned about his contribution to America…and to the world. He became one of my heroes. When I would talk about him, though, the conversation was still met with controversy here in the South. Some folks launched into angry accusations against the man who led the Civil Rights Movement. They said that his personal mistakes negated his vision — he was no hero. I was confused.

Today my family and I are a living testimony to the remarkable impact of Dr. King’s efforts. I’m a white woman, parenting three adopted bi-racial, Caucasian and African-American, children. You visit our house and see all different shades of beautiful brown skin.

My kids and I have had many conversations over the years about race, equality, and injustice. Time and again we say, “People are people. We’re all God’s children.” We believe the color of our skin adds to our individual beauty.

My hope for my children echoes Dr. King’s words from his most famous speech, “I have a dream that children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Because of Dr. King’s courage and leadership, we are a family. And I am grateful.

Want to hear more of our family story? Listen to this episode of the TamaraCreates Podcast: https://tamaracreates.libsyn.com

First published on 5minutereset