Nothing Teaches Like the Choked Up Voice of Someone Who Was There

This evening in my American history class we discussed and watched footage of the Civil Rights Movement. One student spoke after we viewed Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech. This man was in high school during the march and went down to D.C. to attend.

He told us with tears in his eyes that as he tried to move closer to hear MLK's words, he stepped on the foot of a black woman. He said "excuse me, ma'am". She broke down crying and told him that she was from Alabama and a white person had never said "excuse me" to her before.

In the silence that filled the room as he composed himself, the emotional reality of our American history hit me like a fire hose.