Please disable your Ad Blocker to better interact with this website.

Jannah Theme License is not validated, Go to the theme options page to validate the license, You need a single license for each domain name.
News

Brower Family Celebrates MLK

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

On the national holiday celebrating Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., I thought it would be most appropriate to highlight the positive consequences of his leadership and sacrifice.

King’s dream included the hope that one day black and white children would play together.

My friend Lesli Brower’s thoughts about her interracial marriage illustrate how far our country has come:

My 8-year-old Derek bounced downstairs this morning and said, “Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!” and squeezed me tight. I asked him why he was so excited about it and he responded, “Because black kids weren’t allowed to go to restaurants or drink from water fountains or go to school with white kids. But then Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech and then they could go to restaurants, drink from the same water fountains and go to the same schools.” Derek wasn’t wallowing in the negative, he was rejoicing in the positive.

Right there was validation to what I was already going to say. How does one properly celebrate today? Must you go march on Fountain Square downtown? Watch movies from days of yore? Revive old wounds from a sad and tumultuous generation? How many of us do anything on MLK day, really, except sigh with relief for a day off and the ability to sleep in? (I know that very accurately describes me.) But that’s only because just like I don’t wait until Christmas morning to celebrate Jesus, I don’t wait for MLK Day to celebrate diversity and his amazing and courageous sacrifice and contribution to humanity. Rather, I am grateful and rejoice in the fact that my family, being interracial, gets more stares for having four – yes, FOUR children (gasp!) when we go out in public, not the difference in our skin color.

I rejoice in entering any restaurant I want to order whatever I want; belonging to a church that welcomes me with open arms because I am a child of God, NOT because I am a “black” child of God; the ability to send our children to any school we want based on our personal preference and not being stifled by a backwards point of view; by walking down the street free without fear of retribution for the color of my skin; for having the world and all of the opportunities that lie therein at my feet, as well as our children having the same based solely on their ability and God’s will; and, finally, though I disagree with every policy he’s instituted and what he stands for, we have a black president of the United States of America serving his second term.

There will never be a racial utopia because knuckleheads do indeed exist and man has a sinful heart.

However, rather than feel victimized, I choose to place the burden on them and feel sorry for their lack of forward thinking. And in the meantime, I celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream each and every day, though on a subconscious level, in my gratitude for its manifestation in the true freedoms and opportunities that exist for ALL.

Today, January 20, 2014, I think MLK would be proud.

Lesli Brower
@MarathonMom5

Deneen Borelli

Deneen Borelli is the author of Blacklash: How Obama and the Left are Driving Americans to the Government Plantation. Deneen is a contributor with Newsmax Broadcasting. She is a former Fox News contributor and has appeared regularly on “Hannity,” “Fox & Friends,” “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” and “America’s Newsroom.” She has also appeared on Fox Business Network programs “Making Money with Charles Payne,” “The Evening Edit with Liz MacDonald,” and “Cavuto: Coast to Coast.” Previously, Deneen appeared on MSNBC, CNN, the BBC and C-SPAN. In addition to television, Deneen co-hosted radio programs on the SiriusXM Patriot channel with her husband Tom. Recently, Deneen co-hosted the Reigniting Liberty podcast with Tom. Deneen is a frequent speaker at political events, including the FreedomWorks 9.12.2009 March on D.C. which drew a crowd estimated at over 800,000 people. Deneen is also an Ambassador with CloutHub.com, a social media platform that promotes free speech, and with the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) which advances policies that put Americans first. Deneen testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources in May 2011 and before the Ohio House Public Utilities Committee in December 2011. Previously, Deneen was a BlazeTV.com host, Outreach Director with FreedomWorks.org overseeing its Empower.org outreach program, a Project 21 Senior Fellow, and Manager of Media Relations with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Prior to joining CORE, Deneen worked at Philip Morris USA for 20 years. During her corporate career at Philip Morris she worked in various positions, her last as Project Management Coordinator in the Information Management department where she was responsible for the department’s mandated quality processes, communications, sales information and database management. Deneen began her Philip Morris career as a secretary and advanced to positions of increasing responsibilities. Deneen worked full-time and attended classes at night for 11 years to earn her B.A. in Managerial Marketing from Pace University, New York City. Deneen served on the Board of Trustees with The Opportunity Charter School in Harlem, New York. She appeared in educational videos for children, worked as a runway fashion model, and auditioned for television commercials. Her interests include ancient history, pistol target shooting, photography, and volunteering at her church. Deneen currently resides in Connecticut with her husband Tom.

Related Articles