Ellerbee begins the second segment with discussion over the recent discovery that President Thomas Jefferson probably had children with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves. Ellerbee goes on to say: "The media described these kids as Jefferson's black kids. Which brings up an interesting question: How do we define someone's race? Clearly, Jefferson wasn't African-American. So how is it that we can so easily label his kids? And why do we use skin color to define ourselves?" What follows is a montage sequence, with video clips of children describing ways in which they can help people of different races see one another more clearly.
In segment three, Ellerbee starts off with the following quote from King: "We will not be satisfied, until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." To emphasize the power of words through public speaking, special attention is paid to Ayinde Jean-Baptiste, a 12-year-old boy, who spoke at the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. Ayende shares with viewers the need for a "freedom free of hate" and a "freedom full of love." Both ideals require individuals to "practice what they preach" and "preach what they practice."
The episode's fourth and final segment covers two relevant social issues: racism and hate crimes. Ellerbee notes that Martin Luther King once said, "It may be true that the law can not make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me. And I think that's pretty important." Ellerbee points out that "[King] was right and [America] did change [her] laws. And that was important." Jesse Jackson notes, in the segment, that "at least today, hate crimes, when they happen are illegal." Later, King's son, Martin Luther King III states that everybody, simply, has to "get in the habit of doing something positive."
Article comments