Kids' museum honors Dr. King

Area students had the day off from school in honor of civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. But they did not forget his contribution.

"He made it so black people can go to school and stuff," said Aiden D'Angelo, 7. "All people should be able to go to school."

An exhibit was set up at the Children's Museum of Northern Nevada with storybooks and coloring sheets. A display on the wall chronicled King's life and featured the quote, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

It's a philosophy that 8-year-old Cassidy Jackson supports.

"The people who are black are the same as white people," she said. "Their skin is just a different color. They have the same kindness. The same everything."

Frida Ford, president of the museum's board of directors, set up the display under the heading, "Love comes in many colors."

"The kids really learn a lot about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and those sorts of heroes in school," she said. "They don't really learn as much about Martin Luther King, Jr. It's something they need to know."

She hoped children would understand the significance of King's work.

"We've come so far since the days before Martin Luther King, Jr.," she said. "We need to appreciate what people like King and Rosa Parks did to bring about the change in philosophy."

Bianca Saavedra, 12, did a report in school about King.

"He brought everybody together," she said. "They were so separated."

Her twin sister, Belinda, said people now have an obligation to continue the legacy that King began.

"There's racism everywhere, including Carson City," she said. "It may not be big stuff, but it's there. He did what he did so that everyone could be equal. We need to keep doing it - that's the whole point." Contact Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or at 881-1272.