In school we learn about events.
We can recognize names, faces, dates,
And perhaps even recall facts
Or lean powerful stories.
But we’re not taught
What really happened.

We don’t know the thoughts
That flew through peoples’ minds;
We don’t know the fear
That flooded peoples’ hearts;
We don’t know the courage of
The bystanders.

Just regular people,
Like you and me and our friends—
Somehow they got lost along the way.
Their personal hardships got brushed
Into the shadows of
Peaceful and violent rebellions.

And yet it was their unceasing
Courage and determination
That got the ball rolling.
The great events would have been
Nothing without their
Constant support.

Now, fifty years later,
We are still not perfectly equal.
Though we no long have
Separation all over our cities,
There are still cliques and groups—
We still stick with people similar to us.

I predict, and dearly hope,
That my great-grandchildren will
Not see the color of others’ skin.
I wish with all my heart
That they will see the
Color of others’ souls.