This has been the most difficult blog post to write. You’d think it would be easy as a black woman to put feelings into words about one of the most influential African-Americans in history, but it’s not. Honestly, it’s a little too close to home. It’s hard to write about him as a historical figure, because so much of what he fought for, we’re still fighting for over half a century later. In one of his most notable quotes from one of his many speeches, he declares that he hopes for his children to not be judged by their appearance, but by their character, is a wish for my children, too. We’re not there yet – we still have a lot of work to do.
What I can look forward to, though, is that I’ve surrounded myself with people who believe in progress and change. With such a deeply rooted problem of inequality in our country, it can be easy to just accept it as-is. I know that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have wanted us to stay the course and do what we can to make things better – whether it be small or big.
Here is a short list of ideas of things that we can do with our families to help honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy this month and more importantly, all year around.
Embrace and advocate for change
Always take the opportunity to speak up when witnessing any injustice or unfairness. Whether this is allowing your children to participate in activities atypical of their gender or making a point to include others with differences or disabilities.
Expose yourself and your family to new things
St. Louis is lucky to have a rich cultural diversity. Take the opportunity to have lunch or dinner in a new neighborhood, check out an art exhibit at the Missouri History Museum or St. Louis Art Museum. Add books to your children’s collection that have diverse faces and discuss various cultural backgrounds.
Acknowledge & embrace our differences
It’s okay to admit that there are differences among people. When your kids ask questions about race, be honest. Explain to them that differences may be on the outside, but often, that is the only difference. Remember, our kids are watching and listening to our conversations and learning how to interact and understand our world.
Emphasize and model non-violent conflict resolution
Participate in movements for change. Whether that is participating in a women’s march, putting up a “Black Lives Matter” sign in your yard or on your Facebook page, it’s important to peacefully advocate for your causes. Again, our kids will learn how to respond to injustice by how they have seen their parents do it. We want our kids to be safe – the best way to ensure that is by showing them ways to deal with conflict in a non-violent manner, as Dr. King did throughout the Civil Rights Movement.
Be Kind
A small act of kindness can go a long way. Taking someone’s cart back to the corral for them, paying for a strangers coffee or leaving a bigger tip than usual at a restaurant, are all little ways to brighten someone’s day. It sparks happiness in you and in others. It makes our neighborhoods welcoming and our interactions with strangers overwhelmingly positive, which helps in ways that we can’t always understand.
