Guest post from Claire Rudolf Murphy

On April 4, 1968 Senator Robert Kennedy stood on the back of a truck at a campaign rally in a black neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana. “Will you put those signs down?” he asked in a quiet voice. There would be no campaign speech this night.

“I have sad news for you, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world –  . . . Martin Luther King was shot and killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.”

The crowd gasped. Those in front were stunned into silence, while those behind continued to cheer until Kennedy’s words crashed over them like a wave.

Riots had already erupted in cities across the country. Bobby (as he was known by many) could have been killed that night, too, by the angry young men lining the fence. But earlier Bobby had refused to cancel his appearance, even though the mayor of Indianapolis provided no police to protect him.

“For those of you who are black, and are tempted to be filled with bitterness and with hatred, and a desire for revenge. I can only say that I feel -” Kennedy’s voice broke – “in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed . . .” It was the first time Bobby had spoken publically about the assassination of his brother President John F. Kennedy five years earlier. The crowd sensed that he shared their grief, and felt their pain. His healing words calmed the crowd.

But it was barely reported in the local newspaper. Fifty years ago there were no cell phones or the Internet. Only those in attendance heard his remarkable speech. Years later, I finally heard Bobby’s speech on the documentary “A Ripple of Hope.“ Afterward, I wanted to understand how Bobby was able to give such a powerful, courageous speech on such a terrible day in our history.

King and the Kennedys | Martin and Bobby: A Journey Towards Justice

I began reading everything I could about King and the Kennedys. The result was my 2018 book Martin and Bobby: A Journey Towards Justice.

But working on the book I began to wonder. Was I the best person to write this story? I had grown up in Spokane, a predominately white town in eastern Washington and had never studied Dr. King and the civil rights movement. I was a teenager in 1968, and still remembered the violent deaths of Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy just two months later. Like the Kennedys, I had been raised Catholic. I too had lost a family member, my brother Jim killed five months before President Kennedy in 1963. I brought that understanding to my story.

But I knew little about Dr. King’s life, his vision and especially his courage. How he had suffered the insults and indignity of segregation since he was a child and had faced the threat of violence, every day after he led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott. Much of my research involved learning about a culture and a race so different from my own. It broadened my outlook on our country. It changed me. Reading and writing can do that – for all of us.

During the early 1960’s King had to urge Bobby and President Kennedy over and over to take more action on civil rights. Though adversaries earlier in the decade, by 1968 Martin and Bobby had come to respect each other. They now walked a similar path, speaking out against poverty, racism, voter suppression, and the Vietnam War. Both men live on in their words and actions on issues that we Americans still face today.

The Landmark for Peace is a memorial sculpture in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park on the northside of Indianapolis. It honors the contributions of the slain leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. Martin Luther King Jr. Park 1702 N. Broadway St. Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

About The Author

Claire is the author of 18 award-winning fiction and nonfiction books for children and young adults, including Marching With Aunt Susan: Susan B. Anthony and the Fight for Women’s Rights, My Country Tis of Thee: How One Song Reveals the History of Civil Rights, illustrated by Bryan Collier. Claire began her writing career in Alaska, where she lived for twenty-four years. Today she lives and writes in her hometown of Spokane, Washington. Since 2008 she has taught in Hamline University‘s low residency Writing for Children and Young Adults (MFAC) graduate program. Recent events have renewed her deep-seated passion for political activism. She enjoys music and outdoor activities with her husband, two grown children, and their spouses, and grandchildren in Seattle.

Ways to Get Involved with MCBD 2020

Here are a few ways you can participate in Multicultural Children’s Book Day:

1. {Teachers} Multicultural Children’s Book Day FREE Book for Your Classroom Campaign-If you know of a classroom or library that would like a free hardcover, library-approved, diversity children’s book, have them sign up HERE.

2. {Parents/Librarians/Teachers/KidLit Lovers} Free Book to Review. MCBD offers a free diverse children’s book to parents, grandparents, and educators that are willing to write a review and this year we are not limiting reviewers to just bloggers. Just share on your review on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or your blog. Get sign up details here.
3. {Everyone} Be an MCBD2020 Sponsor: Sponsorship is not only a great way to support this event; it is an excellent way to get an author’s name and books in front of thousands of readers. Sponsorship levels range from Platinum to Author Level and a Friends of MCBD option is also available for those who would like to support the initiative with a monetary donation. MCBD Sponsors not only keep the MCBD machine humming, it enables us to support underserved readers, libraries, and schools all year long.
4. {Everyone} Multicultural Children’s Book Day Free Resources, Booklists, and Extension Activities for Teachers and Parents. Enjoy this vast resource list of diverse children’s books categorized by culture, religion, sexual orientation, special needs or ethnicity.
5. Connect with MCBD on social media and share, share, share! Their official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld

– Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MulticulturalChildrensBookDay

– Twitter https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay

-Instagram https://www.instagram.com/readyourworldmcbd/

-Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pragmaticmom/multicultural-books-for-kids/

As the next MCBD event approaches on January 31, 2020, I encourage everyone to follow along via the MCBD website and social media to win even more books, hear from authors and learn the importance of “windows and mirrors” in today’s children’s literature.

Participants and supporters can also stay in the loop with the festivities via the event’s hashtag #ReadYourWorld on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media. Oh! And don’t forget to be on the lookout for the crazy-fun and wildly popular Twitter Party on 1/31/20! Details to follow.

Their FREE Downloadable Class Kit project has been wildly successful as well:

Free Classroom Empathy Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/mcbd2018s-free-classroom-empathy-kit-is-here-empathy-immigration/

Free Kindness Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators: https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teachers-classroom-kindness-kit/

Free Classroom Kit–Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate | Understanding Poverty in America: 

Free Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit:

Have questions on How You Can Get Involved In Multicultural Children’s Book Day? Connect with the Project Manager at Becky (at) MulticulturalChildrensBookDay (dot) com.