During a conference call with California's First Lady Maria Shriver, it became clear to me the importance of celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the way we do. During the call, Maria talked about her father Robert "Sargeant" Shriver and the contribution he made during her uncle John Kennedy's Administration. Her father was the architect of the Peace Corps, Vista, and Head Start which still delivers service to American children today. She said because the major media focused on the Kennedy side of the family, the in-laws were pushed to the back. So now she has produced a documentary which will air January 21 at 9 p.m. on PBS to tell the story of her father's contributions to society, as well as highlight his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She informed us that people who have seen the premier showing have asked, 'why didn't we know this?" This story has a local connection because Sargeant Shriver visited North Fontana during the early sixties at the invitation of Minnie Tisby and I shared with Maria that the Head Start program is still going.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King and the entire African-American community endured much hardship during the 40's, 50's and 60's: he marched and they marched even though they were threatened by police dogs, water hoses were turned on them as if they were houses on fire, the Klan hanged and burned those who attempted to protest and speak out,  governors stood in educational door ways to keep Blacks from entering White schools, people lost their jobs for speaking out, Black teachers could not join the NAACP, before he was shot and killed, King was stabbed within in inch of his life, his churched was bombed, other churches were bombed, Blacks had to set up freedom schools in some communities to teach students, children were killed by bombs, Medgar Evers and others were killed before King was killed. Yes we have to tell our story just like Maria Shriver is telling the story of her father.

Maria Shriver