Bridging the gap between generations was not my intent when we left the house that day, but little did I know what was about to take place. My parents were in town visiting and we decided to take a quick drive to DC to visit the MLK memorial. There was an overcast that day and a forecast for rain, but we didn’t let that stop us since my parents were only in town for a few days and we were all looking forward to visiting this precious memorial we heard so much about on the news and online.
Once we arrived to our destination, I could sense a shift of the mood in the car. I knew right away that making the drive and spending time here, even in this weather, was worth it and would be life changing for all of us.
We found a parking space, got out of the car and proceeded to walk towards the entrance of the memorial. There was a large crowd that day, so we wanted to ensure we all stayed together. I soon realized that my mother stopped a few steps prior to the entrance because she was overcome with emotions. My daughter, who was 8 years old at the time, grabbed my mom’s hand and said “come on grandma you can walk with me.” I walked with my dad who looked like a man on a mission. I believe he was anxious to see the statue and memorial with his own eyes instead of the images we saw on television. I had no idea what I was about to witness.
My father made his way through the crowd and stood before the statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He stood there looking proud of not only making it there to see the statue in person, but also proud to witness the manifestation of Dr. King’s dream.
I then went over to my mom and daughter who made their way inside and found a place to sit. My mother’s eyes were now filled with tears and my daughter looked up and asked “Grandma why are you crying? What’s wrong?” I looked into my mother’s eyes which told me there was nothing wrong at all, but many things were so right now due to the effort and accomplishments of Dr. King.
My mom then began sharing stories of her childhood with my daughter. Being a young girl, about the same age as my daughter at the time, she remembered being out with her mother and having to use the restroom. She remembered looking at the signs on the restroom doors which read “Men, Women, and Colored”. She also remembers drinking from the “Black only” water fountains.
My mom remembers the black-only bathrooms, not being served in restaurants, having access to only certain restaurants, the marches, the sit-ins and sitting in the back of the bus. My mom explained to my daughter that it was because of Dr. King, and many like him during that time, that we no longer live that way and have freedom to experience and accomplish so much more than she did as a child. My dad came over and shared his childhood experiences with my daughter as well. He talked about segregated buses and schools, applying for only certain jobs even though you were qualified to do so much more. These stories that I’ve only read in books and magazines, were told first-hand by my parents to me and my daughter. A beautiful experience we will never forget.
We then decided to take a walk around the memorial to read the quotes on the walls and on the statue that stands tall in the center of the sacred ground. There was one quote that stood out for the 4 of us that day:
“If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Atlanta 1968)
Thank you, Dr. King, for your fight towards justice and peace. While we know we are living in the reality of your dream, there is still work to do. We must continue to live and share your dream to our children and our children’s children for generations to come. Thank you for being our example for peace. We celebrate you and carry on your legacy of freedom and justice for all.
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