Since today is Dr. Martin Luther King Day, I thought it appropriate to present a word that embodied the spirit of the man, dignity.
Dignity: 1. bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of self-respect or appreciation of the formality or gravity of an occasion or situation. 2. Nobility or elevation of character; worthiness: dignity of sentiments.
In his own words:
…We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone…
Dignity is a trait that should not only be reserved for adults in protest. Children deserve to be treated with dignity from an early age.
When I was a teenager, I had the rare privilege of being addressed in a way that made me feel dignified. Every Sunday when I arrived at church, I could expect to hear the title Miss before my first name, Andrea. Yes, as a teenager I was addressed as Miss Andrea. It felt so good, and made me feel like I was … somebody. On the other hand, at school dignity was nowhere to be found. Teenagers had not earned the right to be treated in such a way, was the message we were given. One teacher “playfully” referred to freshman students as vermin. The male gym teacher made it a point of wandering into the girls changing room. Personally, I had a teacher pinch me on the arm and say, “she’s cute, let’s see if she’s smart too”.
What kid needs to be treated with such lack of respect and dignity?
May I suggest that you always treat your child in a dignified manner? Ensure that others treat your child with respect. Bestow titles upon your children. Teach them to respect themselves. As homeschoolers, your child may not have to deal with teachers who steal their dignity on a daily basis, but life circumstances almost seem designed to knock a child down a notch or two. We can easily outbalance this injustice.
Read: Students Should Be In School Today. . ., and article about MLK day and How Would Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Feel About Homeschooling?