My plan was to write this article about the crazy end of one of the most historic school years.

Instead, I would like to tell you a story about my Aunt Faye Kennedy Daly. Faye passed away Feb. 28 in Hawaii from bone cancer. She was 88 years old.

I wish I could tell you all sorts of first-hand accounts of the wonderful person that my Aunt Faye was, but I was never given that opportunity. Faye met my Uncle Pat (from whom I received my middle name), and they were married in 1961. They celebrated 54 anniversaries before Pat died in 2015.

Faye was a social worker, vocational counselor and writer. The people who knew her say Faye was one very amazing and classy lady. She was smart and well-spoken, and she was committed to causes that were close to her heart. My aunt and uncle moved to Hawaii in 1978 and called Honolulu home for 42 years. They loved the openness that Hawaii offered them.

During her life, Faye was honored by the YWCA, the city and county of Honolulu, and the Hawaii State Art Museum. She was one of the greatest supporters of the Honolulu Public Library, and she served on the boards of Hawaii Literacy and Hawaii Youth at Risk. She sounds like a person who would be an asset to any community.

But we (the Peters kids and the rest of my cousins) never had the opportunity to meet this amazing lady while we were growing up.

When Uncle Pat returned home to Waterloo, Iowa, in 1961 to share the news that he had married Faye, my Grandmother Hazel threw him out. She could not have her son being married to a black woman.

The bond of love between a mother and her son was unfortunately broken for a very long time. We were denied the privilege of knowing our aunt and uncle. We were denied the joy of visiting them and sharing our accomplishments with them. We were unable to be part of their lives, which was very painful.

If you have learned anything from reading my columns, my family is everything. But Uncle Pat and Aunt Faye were removed from our family history because of the color of Faye’s skin. Plain and simple.  

You will see and hear many things on a daily basis, but one of the strongest things is this: We are not born racist. We are not born sexist. We are not born homophobic. We are not born to discriminate.

We are taught these behaviors.

We are taught these things by the people who are supposed to be teaching us about the importance and sanctity of life. We should be teaching people to love and learn from each other based on their inner beings, not their outer skin. Skin color has nothing to do with the quality of one’s character or the size of one’s heart.

Uncle Pat and Aunt Faye fought discrimination and racism throughout their entire lives. They also served as one of the greatest examples of love and forgiveness.

Pat ended up back in the presence of his mother on the day she died. They were able to make amends and shared a sense of true forgiveness. She died holding the hand of the son she had sent away so many years ago.

My uncle and aunt had every right to hold a grudge and hate my grandmother, but they didn’t.

One of my favorite pictures of all time is my mom and all of her siblings, smiling when finally reunited. It was sad that it had to be during the time of their mother’s passing, but they were together. The love and forgiveness that Pat displayed that day made such an impact on all of our lives.

After that time together, Pat and Faye opened their homes and hearts to their once-estranged family. My sister and her family, my brother, and my mom and dad all had the chance to see and be part of this love on a first-hand basis during trips to Hawaii. Pat and Faye could have closed the door on their family, but instead they opened their lives to all of us. I can’t think of a better example of the idea that love conquers hate and people truly can change.

When I initially started this article, its focus was on how much my grandmother had hurt our family through her actions toward my uncle and aunt. But after visiting with my sister Beth, she said it can’t be about that — not now. It has to be about the love and forgiveness that my uncle and aunt showed toward not only their mother, but to all of our extended family.

And that is one of the most important messages needed during this time that our nation faces right now. The message that love does conquer hate. The message that people can change. The message that it is important to hope and pray for justice and equality. It is our responsibility as parents, grandparents and teachers to let our children know that love conquers hate. Remember that: Love conquers hate.

Don’t get me wrong — it is important to be a good person, a loving person and a forgiving person. But now we are being called to something more. We are being called specifically to be anti-racist. And we are being called to not stand by quietly and let people of color be judged and treated differently or unjustly.

My grandmother made a decision for our family that was wrong, and it impacted our lives greatly. How many more people will miss out on knowing the “Faye Dalys” of the world solely because of the color of their skin?

You have the power now to teach your children and grandchildren one a valuable lesson: Racism is wrong and should not be tolerated.

One of our favorite songs to sing at church is based on the words of the prophet Micah: “We are called to act with justice, we are called to love tenderly, we are called to serve one another, to walk humbly with God.”

Now is the time, and we are all being called to live this way. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to change the lives of your children and grandchildren.

— Joe Peters is the principal at St. Victor School in Monroe.