Michael Ealy wants people teaching Black excellence before Black trauma on MLK Day

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day and with Black History Month fast approaching, actor Michael Ealy knows that his two kids, son Elijah and daughter Harlem, are likely to hear a lot about the history of slavery, oppression, and disenfranchisement of Black people in America. That is why, as he explained on The Kelly Clarkson Show, he has made the conscious choice to teach his young kids about Black excellence first.

“I think there's something to be said for age-appropriate learning,” he said to Kelly via video-chat. “So when my son was three he was given a book about Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks, and the problem I had -- I started reading the books and I realized this is not a good idea because I’m not ready to teach the context of why Jackie Robinson was a hero or why Rosa Parks was a hero because at that point you have to express that there was some form of oppression.”

He continued, “I think you have to -- for me this is what I want to do with my kids --I think you have to empower young Black children by teaching them that they came from royalty as Queens and Kings in Africa first before you impair them with the knowledge of systemic racism and oppression and that is their origin story here in America.”

Last year, Kerry Washington explained a similar education she went through with her own children—teaching them the “beautiful complexity and elegance and richness of Black history before refusing to be put in the back of the bus.” It’s a powerful message that can positively impact the way that young Black people think about themselves from an early age. Children of all backgrounds and lived experiences should have these fundamental teachings.

RELATED: Regina King hopes her success inspires young Black women to go after their goals

[video_embed id='2119209']RELATED: Regina King hopes her success inspires young Black women to go after their goals [/video_embed]

In the same interview with Kelly Clarkson, Ealy also was visible moved by the story of a former white supremacist who abandoned that toxic ideology after forming a friendship with his Black parole officer.

Speaking via video chat to the parole officer Tiffany Whittier, he remarked, “Tiffany, I think you are living proof, you're kind of an angel to be honest with you, and you're living proof that if you can lead with humanity, respect, and love, then the barrier of hate can be broken. But it takes two, I think that's the key that I’m taking away from this, that both of you had to have some sort of mutual respect for the other and that foundation has led to this friendship.”

We love to hear these positive messages of love and mutual respect, and hope that this continues throughout the new year and the new presidency in the U.S. to inspire true, meaningful change.

BEFORE YOU GO: How to calm your mind without ditching your phone

[video_embed id='2116574']BEFORE YOU GO: How to calm your mind without ditching your phone [/video_embed]