...the pretend shields kids create in imaginative play -- the ones where they protect the world from evil -- were around on April 4, 1968.
To help commemorate Martin Luther King Day, Six's music class is learning songs that were written by slaves as they made their way along the Underground Railroad on a quest for freedom. In his words, Martin Luther King "was a great man because he tried to help slaves." He asked why there were slaves and I tried to find the most uncomplicated way to explain such a complicated topic. Finally, he asked me if King were still alive. When I explained that someone made him die because of what King believed and it made that man scared, Six quickly responded with words that make me wish all of us could be as gold-hearted as children:
"Mommy, if I were Martin Luther King's friend on that day I would have put a big shield all around him so that no one could ever hurt him."
