Today, I was a participant in yet another skirmish in America's Civil War, which, regrettably, Confederates have yet to concede.
The story begins at a cute little talent show for the home-schooled kids who go to the YMCA for some of their classes. My son was showing his stop-motion animation, and other kids, all elementary school age (about 6-13) showed all sorts of things. One kid strummed a ukulele. It was out of tune and he didn't play any chords, but he sure strummed it - for like 2 minutes. Another kid played 4 songs on the violin. Other kids showed off their stop-motion animation, another showed a couple of tricks with a water bottle, and another showed some excellent jump rope skills. It was all super cute, as one would expect.
The finale was a boy, I'm guessing 12 years old, reciting the first part of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech from 1963. When he got to "It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note," a woman I took to be someone else's grandmother booed this child, and said, "I can't listen to this." She had the audacity to boo an elementary school child showing his talent! I called her out on it, pointing out that it was from 1960-something, and she seemed to understand a little better, but she left nonetheless, and her poison was bitter.
I'm sure her fair skin and his deep pigment greased the skids of her disposition to enable such reprehensible behavior.
I would have preferred to have more words with her as we left, but I was so livid and shocked by her outburst that I was at a complete loss! Let my experience give you the opportunity to consider your response in advance should you encounter something similar.
Let no one tell you that equality is won until a child can present the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King before an audience of peers and their parents and grandparents without being heckled.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
