MLK

Tomorrow the boys have off school for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Joey's school has been sending around lots of booklets and stuff about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his Dream: specifically, that children of all colors can play together.

I know that's what the words of that speech say: that the color of your skin will no longer matter. But I'd like to think that dream goes far beyond that. I'd like to think that the point was equality- that people would be seen for their strengths and talents and gifts, that they would be considered based on themselves, not on what we see. That the Dream is for an appreciation of true diversity of all kinds, not just a diversity of skin tone.

In other words, I think this literature ought to be talking about diversity, acceptance, and freedom for all people. Not just about what color peoples' skins might be. Even the special ed stuff is all about children of all colors, people of all races. What about accepting people with disabilities? What about actually looking at those differing cultures, not just the skintone? What about accepting people of different ages? Shouldn't this little booklet say "He dreamed of a world where all children could play together" not just "a world where children of all skin colors could play together"?

The here and now for Dr. King was focused on race, and thus his words were focused on race. But I'd like to think his intention went far beyond his moment. The point of the Dream was for people to discover that judging others on superficialities was not appropriate, not useful, and just plain ignorant.

And if it wasn't, well, then here's the new Dream. Cheers.