"Today was special..."

Scene: in the van on the way home from school

"Mommy, do you know what today is?"

"No, Molly - can you tell me?"

"It’s a special day because a lot of people got to stay home because it was a black man’s birthday. He looks like Barack Obama but he’s not Barack Obama."

"Do you mean Martin Luther King, Jr.?"

“Yeah. He got killed a very long time ago before a lot of people were born. He was fighting for his people and that’s why a man shot him. When he was little, he had a friend and couldn’t play with him. Then he laid down and had a dream about playing with his friend. And he decided the brown people should play with the white people and the white people should play with the brown people. And he gave a speech – he was up on a stage with a lot of people listening to him talk about his dream."

You're right, Molly - today was special. Dr. King was very special. I hope your Daddy and I can always help fuel your interest in important people and places. You're a sponge - and we have to fill you up with the good stuff.