Won’t You Be My Neighbor: Mr Rogers\’ Impact On the World

 

Mr. Rogers was an icon. He had a purity of heart that made people believe.

 

It made people believe in purity, in goodness, in kindness, in love and in allowing everyone to feel valued. He looked in their eyes and made them feel that way.

 

 

 

 

I know it, because when I worked in broadcast at KTLA in Los Angeles, I had the honor of meeting this man.

 

 

 

 

My job was to take care of all the on-screen talent. He was indeed authentic and caring, not only with children, but also with every adult as well. He took the time to truly look them in the eyes, to slow down, and to really care.

 

 

 

 

If you haven’t seen the documentary, then I recommend that you go see it. It doesn’t just talk about a man and his values, it’s not about a man and children, it’s about a man who has a vision.

 

A vision that people should be loved everywhere and that people should be cherished. And he let them know it.

 

 

 

 

That doesn\’t mean his life was easy.

 

At times, he had to take a stance. At times, he had to be very strong regarding

 the state of television. 

 

He was shocked at the negativity– how all the cartoons have violence. It was so uncomfortable for such a wonderful man to see that all the goodness that he had put forth on his show every day was being eclipsed by tech warriors, video figures, bullies and negative characters. He saw that television was hurting a generation of young children and it broke his heart.

 

 

 

So this loving man took a stance against negativity — in all forms. He used his show as a platform:

• In 1968 Mister Rogers Neighborhood shared antiwar sentiments and messages of peace,  right in the middle of the Vietnam War — and the first year of his show. That takes courage.
• He showcased Make-Believe episodes against arms races, and focused on purity.
• He made food and hunger issues a prominent issue on his show.

 

We are grateful for icons such as Mr. Rogers who never gave up and fought to see positive justice for kids and their education and their learning. Watch here to see how he impacted people\’s lives. You can do this too!

We’re All Trying To Be Loving,

Pamela

 

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Fred Rogers was an American television personality, most known for his television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He was also trained as a Presbyterian minister and his trainings caused him to dislike the type of media aimed at children. This led him to create his television series, which quickly became an icon for children’s media and education. Rogers promoted racial equality, pacifism during the Gulf War, and women’s equality throughout his episodes and characters. He was also a vegetarian, an avid swimmer, and did not drink or smoke. He attended Dartmouth College before moving on to Rollins College to study music composition. There he met and married his wife, Sarah Joanne Byrd. They had a lifelong marriage and they had two sons together.