Talking To Our Children About Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

by redpillpapa · 0 comments

in Character,Education,Nutrition+Food,Politics+Policy

Post image for Talking To Our Children About Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, my dear friend Ann Ruckert, a musician, composer, arranger and educator, posted the following on her blog at www.annruckert.com. While she may have been born at an earlier time than many of us current parents, she is the embodiment of a Red Pill Parent. A conversation that I had with her several years back inspired me to get involved with a local Assemblyman’s campaign.  Here is what she had to say about Dr. King:

If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had lived, he would be 81 years old today. Too many politicians have tried to adapt Dr. King’s legacy to their own beliefs, often confusing his legacy for those who didn’t live in the turbulent era preceeding his assassination in 1968.

Dr. King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means. By the time he was shot in April of 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and opposing the Vietnam War, both from a religious perspective.

As a man who worked hard for change, Dr. King was not popular with the ‘powers that be’ in his lifetime. His popularity only came later, when he was proven to be right in his pursuits. As a kid, when my father caught me whining about something, he would use my favorite quote by Dr. King: “A man can’t ride your back unless it is bent.”

Ann continues:

On this day, as we remember Dr. King, it is a very emotional time for me. I, along with thousands of others, marched with Dr. King and shared in his causes. Yet, social justice is still a huge issue—just look at Haiti as well as our own country. In our own state, city, neighborhood and family, Dr. King set the standard. I hope we don’t forget his message of love.

Red Pill Parents, today is the perfect day for us to remind our children why they have the day off from school. Your children might not be old enough to understand the details, so it might not be appropriate or desirable to call their attention to differences between race, color, religion and the horror of assassination, but you can plant a seed. Two questions that I asked my daughter today were, “What do you think someone has to do to have a holiday named after them?” and “What do you think someone needs to do to get their picture on a postage stamp?”  These questions can lead to a discussion of people who do great things, have a dream and unwavering commitment to achieving it, speaking up when they feel that something is not right, and living in a society where all views and beliefs are tolerated.

Red Pill Parents, it would be wonderful if we shared the conversations that we are having with our children in the comments section below so that we can all learn and benefit from shared knowledge and experience.

-Papa

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: