By Senator Derrick T. Simmons
D-Greenville
As we celebrate with sorrow, the 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I reflect on his legacy and the purpose of his God driven life’s work.
While Dr. King’s work was difficult given the time in which he preached racial equality, love and financial opportunity for a despised and repressed group of Americans, I think this picture of my black son and the granddaughter of my white senate colleague Videt Carmichael symbolizes what he fought and died for.
Derrick Simmons Jr. and Jodee Crane served as junior pages in the Mississippi Senate during spring break week. The interaction between them was nothing short of amazing, as was the communication that my young son and Jodee had with white and black senators, staff members and guests of the senate.
Their interactions were innocent, void of malicious thoughts and unstained by the evil and destructive spirit of prejudice – something children learn from adults.
Let us learn from their example and get along as “people,” not black, nor white, but “people” who refuse to embrace prejudices or hate, just the love for each other that God placed into our hearts and souls at birth as we continueto labor in bringing Dr. King’s dream to past.
Senator Derrick T. Simmons, D-Greenville, has served in the Mississippi Senate since 2011 and is chairman of the Senate Enrolled Bills Committee.
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