Question/Answer # 10

Okay final question for now.

I asked this of Mark also ....

What's the best piece of wisdom you've ever heard from your kids?

Posted by: Sharon (Queen Clown Gomer) | May 09, 2008 at 05:42 PM

My son, Cole, had a big project for black history month this year. For his project, he chose the Tuskegee Airmen. He loves anything camouflage or having to do with the military or planes. He's an eight your old boy. So, to prepare, we rented a documentary from the public library. About half way through the movie. Cole said to me, "Daddy, stop the movie." I looked over at him and he had tears in his eyes. "What is it son?" I asked. "It's so stupid, dad!" "What?" I asked, thinking he was bored with the slower documentary pace. "It's just skin. It's just skin. It's so dumb that they wouldn't let black people fly just because their skin is different."

Growing up in Georgia, I've encountered racism and prejudice first hand my whole life. I often drive by houses with rebel flags flying high. We've purposed in our family to raise our children to live by MLK's famous phrase that a man should be judged by the content of his character, not the color of his skin. It's something we talk about a lot sitting around the table especially when I've returned from some of my trips to Africa. A lot of times as a parent, you sew seeds, but don't see the harvest. That day, sitting on the couch, I got to enjoy the harvest.

With tears in my eyes, I held my boy and told him that he didn't realize that there were a whole lot of people a whole lot older than him who hadn't figured that out yet.

It's one of my proudest moments as a dad so far.

Comments

[April]

Your son is amazing! Being a black female in North Carolina, I do experience racism from time to time. This world could use more great parents like you and your wife.

[Sharon]

OK ..... you shouldn't post like that without handing out Kleenex first.

Hug that child for me will ya??

[Emily Payne aka EmmoGomer]

Tears here too.
Bless you Tai & Shannon for instilling in your child what is apparent to most of the civilised world.

[marg]

Okay - now I have tears in my eyes too. That is so precious.

[Joan Young/Godgrl Gomer]

God bless you Coleman!

[Tracy]

I want to hug him too. What an incredible gift to see such evidence that he really is listening.
Thanks for sharing this and may it be just one of many of these moments for you and Cole.

[Karen ~Oibts~]

I am so touched I almost don't know what to say, you have brought tears to my eyes, being Black & Native American myself, by the Grace of God I have never had to experience racism growing up in a mostly white community at the time. although my parents did experinece a lot of racism up until the time I was born as far as I know, I thank God for parents like you and Shannon, great is your reward, thank you so much you truly have the love of Christ in you :)