I had an interesting conversation with Cameron tonight. First, let me provide a little back story. All three of our boys played little league football; different age groups with the same team, the Turkey Creek Trojans. Michael was an assitant coach for Jace's age group, the Mighty Mites, and I was their team mom. It's amazing how we came to love those little boys by the end of the season, one in particular. Our little Giovoni didn't speak to us at all when the season started. He was always obedient, just very quiet. By the end of the season he had become our weekend child (and he talked Michael's ear off Saturday on the way over to our house).
Outside of Christmas and the following two weekends when we were on vacation Giovoni has been at our house every weekend since mid November. As a matter of fact, I just took home a few hours ago. We love him. I semi-jokingly refer to him as our 5th child. His mother calls me his other mom.
Since I've been such a thorough homeschool mom (insert sarcasm for the previous statement) when Cameron sees another tribute to MLK, Jr on TV tonight he finally asks who that is. I always try to relate things to our lives so the kids will understand better. So I tell Cameron that there was time not too long ago when Giovoni could not have been his friend. Not without at least being threatened with violence. You see Giovoni is black; not that he or Cameron or Jace have noticed. I told Cameron about the civil rights movement, how MLK, Jr was a leader of this movement, and why the movement was needed. I briefly explained that black people used to be treated badly all because of the color of their skin; the one thing Cameron had never paid any attention to before. He looked devastated. I really have never seen Cameron look so upset. He finally looked at me and said, "That's just evil, Mom!" I told him he was right. I then explained how MLK, Jr and others had worked hard to help change that. I told how he led demonstrations and spoke to people to help change their minds. Then I told him that we were living MLK, Jr's dream. The color of a persons skin is something we no longer notice.
Giovoni's mother and I appear very different. But we're not. You see we have found the things we have in common and they have united us. We love our children and want them to be safe and happy. We strive every day to do what's best for them. How blessed we are for all those who came before us. I am grateful to those who risked scorn, ostracism, arrest, injury, and even death so that one day my children could have friends and never even notice what color skin they have; so that we could love Giovoni without fear. I think this is the first time I have ever truly understood what Martin Luther King, Jr and those who stood with the Civil Rights movement really did and why they matter to our country.
