equal rights

Core Knowledge curriculum for the second grade has a unit called Civil Rights.  Abbi has been learning about Abraham Lincoln, Cesar Chavez, and today, Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Each night, we practice reading the Gettysburg Address.  I don't know how I made it all through my public education and a bachelor's degree without ever reading the three paragraph Gettysburg Address.  Abbi is supposed to memorize it for the assembly next month when the second grade recites it.  She is doing so well with the words she has never had to use before but we may be a ways from memorizing it.  I'm going to memorize it with her for support, although, I've never been able to memorize anything.  {I did memorize the Articles of Faith when I was 12 years old and Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants with my singles stake.}

We've been talking about Abraham Lincoln, a lot.  It's fun to have those conversations and to remember things I haven't thought about in years.  I'm glad she has other people from history to think about because since September we've been talking about George Washington Carver.  I guess that's because Abbi admires his involvement with peanuts.  She lives for peanuts.

While she didn't have a lot to say about Cesar Chavez yesterday, she had a LOT to say about Martin Luther King, Jr.  I love how closely she pays attention during history.  It's Abbi's favorite part about school, in addition to lunch and math.

While Abbi reported what she learned about equal rights she said that white people and black people called each other names.  I was relieved when she said they called each other 'trash.'  She showed me a picture of the drinking fountain that white people used and the drinking fountain that the African Americans used.  Abbi didn't understand why there way a problem because groups because of how they looked.  She was astonished by it.

Today, the idea that people are different because of how they look was introduced to her.  I feel bad that she has that in her mind now.  On the other hand, I feel proud that she never had come up with that idea before, on her own.  Abbi was satisfied with the fact that Heavenly Father created all people and He loves every person more than we could ever imagine.  I hope that truth sticks with her and that she will always be astonished by the idea that people can be separated by the way they look.  What a good girl.  I'm a happy mom.

Maybe the equal love and acceptance of others is getting better with every generation.  Here's to hoping.