Letting Freedom Ring
Last week a pack of freedom loving families set out for Lookout Mountain, TN in an effort to realize, in some small way, the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. Kristen Odmark has fearlessly organized our annual MKL day field trip for the last two years.
On the way to Chattanooga, each family listens to Dr. King’s 1963 “I Have A Dream” speech. Our kids are 9 and 5 - old enough to understand some of what is going on, but certainly not everything. We had a great discussion about America’s defaulting on the promissory note that held out the unalienable rights for every man - black and white. We talked about Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation and how 100 years later, in MLK’s day (and dare I say ours), the chains of segregation and discrimination still enslaved so many. It was pretty amazing to have this time with our kids - to talk in depth about injustice and how we, like Dr. King, can dream of a day when all the wrongs will be made right.
Our time up on the mountain consisted of lots of kids running around Point Park and lots of grown ups snapping pictures. This year Kristen brought a video camera and the kids took turns reading portions of the speech… or just wholeheartedly shouting “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty we are free at last.” This year, the trip culminated with all the kids gathering on the steps of the monument and Kristen reading a book that highlights portions of MLK’s speech. Take a look at the pictures below - beautiful children, covering just about every skin tone. I think Dr. King must have been smiling, knowing that his dream is coming true.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
