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May 15, 2005
The Dream Lives
"Where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers" - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Aug. 28, 1963
Overheard at a playground in a city with segregation issues:
The scene: a suburban St. Louis park on a lovely springtime Sunday afternoon. At the swings: a 15-month-old toddler and her eavesdropping parents, a 4-year-old white girl, a 6-year-old black girl, and a middle-aged man. All three children are swinging with much delight and many exclaimation points.
White Girl: This is heaven!!!!!
Black Girl: It's a dream!!!!!!
White Girl: It's a dream come true in heaven!!!!!!
Black Girl: It's a dream come true! Just like Dr. Martin Luther King!!!!!!
White Girl: It's heaven!!!!!
Black Girl: Junior!!!!!! Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior!!!!!!!
White Girl: We're so close to heaven!!!!!!!
Black Girl: It's a dream!!!!!! It's black people, white people!!!!!! (to Middle Age Man) PUSH ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
White Girl: Yeah!!!!!!!!!!! Push me now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Black Girl: It's a dream come true!!!!!!!!! Come true, just like Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
White Girl: It's just like heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Middle Age Man: Come on. Get your flip-flops and let's go walk around the lake.
White Girl: You retard.
Free at last, free at last.
Posted by Robin at May 15, 2005 05:41 PM
Comments
Snort!
"You retard."
How dare he besmirch the heavenly dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King JUNIOR by talking of something as mundane as flipflops?!?!?!
Posted by: beege at May 15, 2005 08:00 PM
Thank God almighty.
Posted by: Wendy at May 15, 2005 08:42 PM
Ha ha. My mama would have smacked me so hard if I called her a retard. Still would. Especially in public.
But I do think it's pretty damn awesome that they were talking about MLK Jr. on the playground. Thank God almighty, indeed.
Posted by: Sara Joy at May 16, 2005 04:32 PM
That's the best dialog I've read in weeks.
Cheers to the beginning of the end.
Julie
Posted by: Julie at May 17, 2005 03:09 PM
