Explaining the KKK to a 6-Year-Old

Written February 20, 2017

Oakland, California

  Went to the Oakland Museum of California for the first time. Great information about the history of the state including all the iterations of evolving boundaries dating back to the native peoples. 

But it was the special exhibition about the history of The Black Panthers that generated the most stunning moment.  We happened to be standing next to a young black mother who was explaining to her curious, bright, beautiful 6-year-old son about the KKK robe and hood lying in a display case.

"Those men did very bad things. So bad that they had to cover their faces." 

It brought me up short and I had to compose myself for several minutes before I could move on.