#OTD in
#History, 1928, Fred Rogers was born. His television show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” was one of the longest-running children’s programs on Public TV, guiding millions through childhood while teaching them the values of being kind and compassionate—even when adults were not.
While the show usually dealt with simple topics, such as getting a haircut, it did not shy away from sensitive subjects. When Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated just two months after
#MLK, Rogers hosted a TV special to help parents and children address the tragedy. And amidst intense debates over integration, an episode aired with Mr. Rogers and children's TV’s 1st recurring black character, Officer Clemmons, sharing a pool to cool their feet.
Rogers spoke to the power of his approach when he testified before a Senate subcommittee to oppose funding cuts to PBS. He shared the need for more “neighborhood expression of care” and to depict a child's emotions as “mentionable and manageable.” He hoped to convey this at the end of each show by saying, “You've made this day a special day by just your being you. There's no person in the whole world like you, and I like you, just the way you are.”
Chairman Pastore admitted to Rogers that despite being “a pretty tough guy,” he got “goosebumps” from the testimony. Then, after Rogers recited the lyrics to a song about when the "world seems oh so wrong,” Pastore said, “I think it's wonderful. Looks like you just earned the $20 million.”
The show aired until Rogers retired in 2001. But on the 1st anniversary of 9/11, he came out of retirement to reiterate the same message he had for decades: “What children probably need to hear most from us adults is that they can talk with us about anything.”
“I know how tough it is some days," he said, "to look with hope and confidence on the months and years ahead. But,” he repeated one last time, “I would like to tell you what I often told you when you were much younger: I like you just the way you are.”
