all colors are beautiful

Last night little guy and I were watching Oprah. It was a show about an issue that is near and dear to my heart. It was about race and it showed clips of her show over the past 25 years that covered this topic and quoted some pretty awesome quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. Ever since I was young I've been very passionate about equality. I realize that racism comes from ignorance and so it's important that we open our minds and learn.

As we were watching Oprah, little guy began asking me some things. I've always been very open and straight to the point with him on all topics, and I wasn't about to back down on this very important lesson. I wanted to explain things to him in way that he could understand and at the same time teach him about equality. By coincidence the same issue came up in one of my classes today, so I gave them the same lesson I gave little guy. It goes a little something like this...

When you color a picture, do you color it with only one crayon or do you use lots of different colors?

You use a lot of different colors.

And why do you use a lot of colors?

You use them to make a beautiful picture. Because using only one color would be boring and the picture wouldn't look as nice.

It's the same way when God created people.

If he created only one color of people, the world would be boring and not as nice.

So he chose to create many different kinds of people, of all colors, to make the world really beautiful.

And every color is beautiful.

Little guy liked this lesson and got it. And my 2nd graders were so focused on my words, more than any English lesson that I have ever given them. I felt so happy. I felt that they learned something so valuable today, something that they can take with them in life. And I hope that they will have the courage to stand up for equality. I think it is much better to stand up for what you believe is right than to be quiet and say nothing. One day you may find yourself in a situation and you will hope and pray that someone will support you. So don't be shy in supporting others, especially when injustice is involved.

We are all special, all unique, all different, but most importantly, we are all EQUAL.

"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King, Jr.