MLK in the Kindergarten Classroom

“Momma, did you know that me and you and Daddo, Bubba and Cole used to not like people who are brown and light brown. We are peach and pink and we didn’t like them.’ 

I asked him if this was what he learned today as I pictured his Kindergarten teacher standing in front of her class attempting to tell this history lesson on a 5 year old’s level. This same teacher who has a piece of paper with red marker ‘This is my mission field’ taped on the wall behind her desk. Such an important lesson, but one for delicate little minds. 

Rhett continued, “Then this nice man, he was dark brown, I saw a picture of him, he started talking to people and trying to get people to not fight.’ 

I asked if his name was Martin Luther King. He quickly said “Yes, yes that man!”

Then I told Rhett that King lived a long time ago before Momma and Daddo and all of us were born (our kids think if it happened before Daddo and I were born then it is super ancient). I told him not very long ago, but it was before any of his family was here. I didn’t want him to think that his parents or even him and brothers were ever “not nice” to people. And he said “Oh ok, long time ago.”

But as we all know, it wasn’t that very long ago. It was a time that is too recent for comfort. Yet, a whole new generation of adults and parents in their 30’s and 40’s raising today’s children, weren’t alive when King was having to fight for equal rights. Two whole generations have been born since he was alive. Just as my children were born innocent and blind to all color, their children will be too. 

Rhett continued telling me about his new information, “Then that man talked to people and made everyone be nice to each other; and now Joselyn can come to my school and be in my class. I’m glad Joselyn can be in my class. She’s nice.”

Before this day, our 5 year old didn’t know there was a difference between people other than some are ‘peach, pink, light brown, darker brown and really really white like me.’ He’ll be the first to remind me in the summer to put the sunscreen on his body because he’s “REALLY white!”

He’s around all different colors of people all the time; classmates, on the soccer field, tball field, at church and every where he goes. I’m glad he was introduced to the importance of MLK’s life and what ‘that nice man’ did, but his innocent, unknowing little mind is something I will miss. We all must know our nations history, all of its history, and respect it, teach it and preserve it. I know that. But I also wish our world could be a little more like a Kindergarten class room. Not ‘black’ or ‘white’ or ‘Caucasian’ or ‘Hispanic.’  I kind of like the ‘lighter brown, peachy pink, really really white or darker brown.’  We’re all Americans. We’re all beautifully colored and different. Like a 5 year old’s box of crayons, we have the ability to draw our own picture and make it whatever we want it to be. But it takes all of us to have this same outlook. I wonder if that will ever be possible. 

Don’t ignore it. Do your part. Be more like ‘that nice man’ MLK. 

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”  

~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr