|
Sometimes children see things clearer than we do. They call us back to the ideals we once embraced and now seem to have forgotten. "Dear Dr. King" is a book of evidence of their hope and vision produced from letters written to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Originally begun as a project in elementary schools in Memphis, Tennessee, the letters show the extent to which King's ideals have been passed from their grandparents who marched with him to their parents and teachers and now to a third generation of children.
In their foreword, editors Jan Colbert and Ann McMillan Harms describe the process. "The letters poured in [more than 1,000], . . . we were continually overwhelmed by the eloquence of the children and the depth of their concerns."
The letter-writers, ages 8 through 12, represent several racial groups. They ask questions about guns and violence in their world, express thanks for what King did, tell of their concern about black-on-black crime, the homeless and drug dealers. Occasionally, there's a little humor. Tawanda wrote, "Did you have verbs when you were in school?"
As for me, I agree with Kimberly, age 11, who wrote:
Dear Dr. King,
American needs another hero like you.
One who stopped violence, who cared for the people, not just money. . . .
I shall not forget you.
Etta Wilson is children's book review editor of BookPage.
©1998, ProMotion, inc.
Support your