Last week, Christine brought in a box of eggs. The children sat in a circle on the rug while Christine showed them the eggs and asked for their observations. The children noticed that some of the eggs were brown, some white, some large, and some small. One had freckles. Then, she cracked the eggs and swirled them around in a bowl. Could we tell which ones were the white eggs and which were the brown? No, said the kids, they’re all eggs.
“One child asked, “Do people still feel that way?” She was referencing the racial clashes of the 1950s and 60s that we’d read about in the book. Sadly, I said, some people still do feel that way, although not as many people as when I was your age.”
Next, Christine gently explained that in the past, people were separated according to the color of their skin. White people did not share their drinking fountains, restaurants, schools, or movie theaters with Black people because they considered themselves to be superior. The Acorns were horrified, the Oaks, exasperated. Then the children heard the story of Dr. King’s life, his work, and his death. It was a serious lesson about hate, and a beautiful lesson about the power of love.
“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.”