Why Mister Rogers Inspires Us Today

"Won't you be my neighbor?" the new documentary by Academy Award winning director Morgan Neville follows the importance of Mister Rogers and how his influence is impactful even today. On television from 1968 to 2001, Mister Rogers was the voice for and of children spanning decades. Through the Vietnam War, assassinations of leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., and even the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Mister Rogers was a way to keep the children rightfully informed. While he spoke honestly and without a filter to the children, the ideas that resonated most and have made him a hero even today are that of love and diversity-two concepts we hold in highest regard in VOE's mission. He has most famously said "We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say, 'it's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem. Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes." Mister Roger's neighborhood reflected upon diversity, respect, and proper behavior from all aspects. He took the very first true grassroots approach to combatting bias by starting with the youth-an idea we do our best to embody here at VOE. Mister Rogers continues to inspire and teach children all over the world to consciously make decisions to 'be a helper' in your global community. Mister Rogers has also been a beacon of equality for many years by highlighting the importance of inclusion in various episodes. One of the most notable episodes to air was in 1969, episode 1065, in which Officer Clemmons, an African American Police Officer in the show, was invited to wash his feet in the same pool as Mister Rogers. In a time where segregation of public areas was extremely prominent and there were separate "white" and "color" pools, this was a message to all his viewers by showing both an African American man and Caucasian man's feet as friends as they relaxed in the same pool. This episode was controversial and caused "wade ins" in many public pools but it was a show of empathy and equality. We hope that with this coming school year, we will be able to continue Mister Roger's legacy in the best way we can and continue to educate children on the importance of love, diversity, and inclusion.