I saw this last week.
It’s a document produced by the Montgomery Improvement
Association. It gives very specific instructions as to how persons of color
were to ride city buses. Segregation had been declared unconstitutional and it
was time for all riders to choose their seats – front, middle, or back.
I can’t read it without tearing up. If Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and the fine people of Montgomery hadn’t answered their calling and
taken their seats on the city buses, my family wouldn’t exist. It’s that
simple. Interracial adoption was illegal in most states; until the 1990s, there
were no federal laws ensuring nondiscrimination in adoption.
My friend Carey told me a story that always comes to mind on
this important day when we celebrate the birthday of Dr. King. Carey grew up in
the segregated schools of North Carolina. He and his wife were among the first
Black children who attended public schools after states were forced to comply with
desegregation laws.
Carey told me about going to football camp when he was in
junior high. His dad took him to meet the bus and Carey realized there were
very few Black kids riding the bus. Carey was scared. How would the other kids
treat him? Where should he sit on the bus? His dad said to him, “Get on the bus
for me. Get on the bus for you.”
Thank you, Carey, for getting on the bus. You got on the bus
for me, Brian, Max, and Isaac.
Thank you Dr. King, for leading your followers with such
dignity and grace. Because of you, this
is how we celebrate MLK Day in our house.
We have breakfast with a few of our friends. Who cares what color you are! You’re all
welcome at our table and no one thinks a thing about it.
“Be loving enough to absorb evil and understanding enough to
turn an enemy into a friend.”
They're all precious in His sight.
