Like many Americans (dare I hope a majority of us?), Donald Trump's “shithole countries” comment was yet another reminder that our president is a nasty, racist, brute . I work in a diverse school, with many children whose parents are first generation Americans. They come to our corner of New Jersey from all over the world: Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Haiti, and more. Since Donald Trump rose to the national stage, it’s been a daily struggle to ensure that his hateful rhetoric not tinge the world of my students at our school.
In January, we always take the time to mark Martin Luther King’s life and accomplishments. Last Friday, it seemed especially important to say something about Dr. King that would also serve as a counterpoint to Mr. Trump’s thoughtless leadership. This is my announcement:
Like so many of his fellow Americans…like nearly all of us…Martin Luther King’s ancestors were immigrants to this nation. Reverend King knew that the power and greatness of the United States lay in our diversity. He believed that tolerance must be our destiny, the only way forward for both our country and the world. He once said, “We must live together as brothers, or we are going to perish together as fools.”
These are wise words always, but especially now, as we prepare to celebrate Dr. King’s life, his legacy, and his dream that we fulfill the promise that, “all men are created equal.”
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