First Amendment Hits Home

In my first few years of teaching I will never forget a real time American history lesson that has always stayed with me.
   In the early nineties in an urban setting of a largely African American elementary school we were knee deep in the study of the Bill of Rights. It was spring, fifth grade, and we were already a close knit family working together, sometimes bothering each other, but mostly helping each other.
    I can remember it like it was yesterday. We had circled our desks at the end of the day and were processing all that we knew about the Bill of Rights.  It was during our discussion, a student Yvette shared animatedly about a man who approached her that morning at the B.A.R.T. station, (our local mass transit system) and was not only spouting speech but was also passing out literature that she didn't understand.   A wise 11 year old, Yvette was astute enough to sense that it might be hate speech but wasn't sure.  She wanted her classmate's help.  Yvette produced a highly derogatory flyer out of her desk and asked, " Miss S what did the man mean by this?"  The hand out she produced was indeed racist, and hateful.  The man that passed it to her actually said something more of the same but it was subtle and full of innuendo. The kids watched my face and I remember I fought to hold back tears.
   "Miss S!  He is down there everyday.  Go down there with me today after school.  We can stop him from doing this, and have him arrested!"
   I collected myself, and spoke as clearly as I could.  I believe I said something to the effect of  the first amendment was there to allow Americans to say good things, as well as bad things.
   I'll never forget their slow, but gradual nodding in tandem as they finally understood the first amendment and what it entailed.  One by one, in that circle of universal desks, the clarity was apparent. More importantly, the look on their faces has always stayed with me.  Some days there are no golden moments in teaching.