MLK.

A quote of a quote of a quote, but a good one.  From Get Religion:

Shaila Dewan wrote an interesting story about a vacation home that King never got to use. In the story, she told this illuminating anecdote:

Ms. Mitchell, a pioneer in early childhood education and one of the first black school board members in Beaufort County (the other was also a Penn staff member), said she was determined to ask Dr. King one question: “How can you tell me to love people who treat me as if I were not human?”

“I will never forget” his response, she said. “He said we are created in God’s image. So you love the image of God in that person.” She added: “I don’t know if I was able to use that, to apply that, in all different situations. But I always remembered it.”

I’m still vetting elementary-school American history books, searching among the commonly recommended lists of "living books" — many of which are pre-1980 — to find some that are, shall we say, linguistically culturally sensitive.  It’s hard and even my own guiding principles are terribly vague. 

Somewhere hidden in that quote is something that is going to help me.  I’m sure of it.