Below is a photo collage of what diversity mean to me, as well as, a beautiful poem"Can A White Boy Dream Like Martin Luther King?", written by Patrick M. Shutt.
I looked at myself in the mirror today.
There were no lies in the eyes of the truth that was being conveyed.
He told me something so simple and yet so sound and profound.
He said that it was okay for a white boy to dream like Martin Luther King.
But then. I excused, stated, and proclaimed,
I am not black, for I am white, surely this cannot be my fight."
"Your epidermis may be light. You bleed in humanity's colors." He explains
Your blood pumps blue through your heart and in your veins.
It oxidizes red when it exits your wounds.
You don't see in gray.
You feel in hot and cold.
You see in only black and white,
with no lukewarm in sight.
Yes, a white boy can dream like Martin Luther King.
Your momma didn't raise no fool,
Your DNA is interwoven with the talent and the tools,
capable of the same type of change that MLK orchestrated in decades past.
You don't bundle up in tattered rags of hate.
You are clothed in unity,
Embroidered in equality,
Tattooed in diversity,
but most importantly-
You are saturated in purity and grace.
From the blackest coal,
into the brightest, shiniest, sharpest, strongest diamond,
is a "so-called lowly white boy
who can dream big like
Martin Luther King.
Patrick M. Shutt
I decided to add this video of Christopher Duffy. This is from 2010 and at the time he was 10 years old. I was overcome with emotion as I watched it and the tears I shed were of pure joy. Christopher is blind and also autistic and expresses himself clearly through song. As a musician, I know how powerful music is and the affects that it can have on both the musician and the listener.
The video has a long introduction. If you don't want to watch it scroll to 3:05, this is right before Christopher begins singing.
Hello Keli
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful inspirational blog post. I saw the video of the little body singing last month and it was truly inspirational, I actually cried when he was singing. It is sad sometimes to see what traumatic experiences young children have to face. It is up to us as caregivers, educators, guardians and simply adults to do all that we can to help children through this in order for them to become successful citizens in society.
Keli,
ReplyDeleteThis was such a thought provoking and inspiring blog post. First, I love your collage and how it represents a commitment to love and tolerance with a clear focus on children.
I also love the poem by Patrick Shutt which talked about the fact that everyone, anyone no matter who you are and where you come from can dream a dream like Martin Luther King Jr. That was very awesome to read.
Then the video was the icing on the cake. Wow! How amazing is that kid?! He is a true testament to resilience and the best example I have seen so far.
Thanks for sharing all that!
April
Keli,
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed your post it was inspirational and thought provoking. The poem exemplified that with anti-bias thinking any child can accomplish all possibilities. the video of the little boy ministering through song was amazing! Thanks for the blessing!
Keli,
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your posts; be it a blog or discussion post, they are thought provoking and intelligent. You put together a wonderful collage that really shows many of the different "ism's" educators must understand. You poem is just beautiful. I hope you share it with as many people as you can as I feel it provides such a warm perspective of race; that which is that we are more alike than most people think. Lastly, the video was so nice to watch. It is really inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing!
~Jalice