On this day every year, my Mother would bake a cake and sit the family down at the dinner table to talk about Martin Luther King, Jr. What he meant to her, what he meant to our family, what he meant to the nation, what he meant to the world and what he meant for civil rights. Though the cake was there to celebrate MLK's birthday, I think Mom made the cake simply to hold our attention and keep us around the dinner table a little longer than usual. Those nights were always special to all of us.
Our plan is to continue this tradition with Emi. It will start with brownies tonight (I'm not much of a cake baker) but I am planning to learn to make a cake by this time next year.
During lunch, NPR broadcast the "I have a dream" speech in its entirety. I don't think I've ever heard it completely in the past. I was enthralled and so happy that I had taken the time to drive home to visit with Emi and Hope during lunch. If it wasn't for Hope being sick and asking me to come home, I would have been out on a road ride and would have missed the broadcast.
Tonight, at dinner, we will tell Emiko about a great man who gave his life to improve civil rights in America and around the world. It amazes me that Emi will grow up in an era where it won't be unusual for there to be a black man sitting in the Oval Office. But we will make sure that she understands that while MLK's dream has been realized, we still have battles to fight against racism, sexism, homophobia and religious zealotry.
Before we began even trying to get pregnant, I was concerned about the world we would be introducing to our child-to-be. I know now that our country continues to mature. Emiko was born into a world that has noticeably improved over the past 32 years, we have made it a better place. I am hopeful that we will continue to improve our nation in the great American experiment.
Our plan is to continue this tradition with Emi. It will start with brownies tonight (I'm not much of a cake baker) but I am planning to learn to make a cake by this time next year.
During lunch, NPR broadcast the "I have a dream" speech in its entirety. I don't think I've ever heard it completely in the past. I was enthralled and so happy that I had taken the time to drive home to visit with Emi and Hope during lunch. If it wasn't for Hope being sick and asking me to come home, I would have been out on a road ride and would have missed the broadcast.
Tonight, at dinner, we will tell Emiko about a great man who gave his life to improve civil rights in America and around the world. It amazes me that Emi will grow up in an era where it won't be unusual for there to be a black man sitting in the Oval Office. But we will make sure that she understands that while MLK's dream has been realized, we still have battles to fight against racism, sexism, homophobia and religious zealotry.
Before we began even trying to get pregnant, I was concerned about the world we would be introducing to our child-to-be. I know now that our country continues to mature. Emiko was born into a world that has noticeably improved over the past 32 years, we have made it a better place. I am hopeful that we will continue to improve our nation in the great American experiment.
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