A Tribute To Martin Luther King Jr. From My Son

My mother grew up in Jackson, Mississippi during the civil rights movement and her father, my grandfather, was a State Senator. Having parents so heavily involved in politics, she had always told me she felt she had a front row seat for that time period. She was part of the first generation of white children to go to an integrated elementary school. She also graduated from a formerly all black high school. When she was 13 years old her father ran the court house as Circuit Clerk, and she handed out voter registration forms to blacks for the first time at the court house in Jackson.

There is a lot more to her story. A story that has found its way into the way I live my life, and more importantly, how I treat others. My mother was determined that her children would learn the lessons of Martin Luther King Jr., and would never judge someone by the color of their skin. She put me and my siblings into a diverse Catholic school downtown rather than the mostly white suburban one closer to our home. She bought my sister Barbies of different colors. Using racial slang and slurs of any kind were most certainly not allowed. Woe to the friend who accidentally did in front of her.

Martin Luther King Jr. was more than just a hero during black history month at school. My mom made him seem real to us, instead of just a distant figure from the past. We not only read his “I Have a Dream” speech, but his letter from a Birmingham jail, and many other great speeches that he gave in his lifetime. She wanted to make sure that we understood that this was a mission of faith for him. Many who write his history don’t focus on that, but she wanted to see that treating people fairly was a part of our faith, as it was his.

My best friend for the last 10 years is Jahaun, who is black. I have other black friends, and my brothers and sister also have many friends of color. Even when we were little, our friendships were not based on any race or color of the skin. One day my sister remarked that it seemed that we had a lot of black friends compared to other white kids. My mom said that children sense when someone is not judging them, and this always comforted me. Knowing that my friends and I understood each other past the stereotypes was an awesome feeling. I grew up with that feeling, and I cannot imagine growing up these past ten years without Jahaun. His friendship alone has gotten me through so much. It occurred to me that if not for the lessons of Martin Luther King Jr., I might have judged Jahaun based on his skin color. I might have had preconceived notions that would have kept me from his friendship.

A true friend is a rare and incredible gift. It bothers me that people are still so racist and hateful against people that could potentially be their very own friend. Jahaun’s impact on my life is indescribable. I know if I had not learned the lessons of Martin Luther King Jr., I might have never had Jahaun in my life.