Explaining to children why people mistreated and disliked Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a struggle for Velisse Ammons Williams.

The struggle was part of the reason she wore “Candy-Colored Friends.”

The book is a children’s book based on her life experience with her twin boys. Her twin sons were given a lesson about King and his struggles with civil rights and racism on their birthday. The lesson left the boys with questions.

“One of the twins asked ‘Mom is that why some kids treat me differently?'” Williams said.

Williams was not sure the reason why children treated her son badly was because he was African American or if it was based on his speech delay.

The twins never looked at skin color the same way after the kindergarten lesson.

Prior to the lesson, they had no clue about discrimination based on skin color or handicaps, Williams said.

The only appropriate way for Williams to explain to kids not to judge people by the color of their skin was by using her knowledge of writing. She wrote the book to enlighten children about diversity and about relevant topics they may face today.

“I first approached the idea to convey my story by using M&M’s because they are all different colors, but they are the same on the

inside,” Williams said.

As ambitious to use the M&M’s characters that she was, the corporation decided not to allow her to do so. She then had to go through a new route and make up her own candy.

Williams said her goal is to plant the seed clearly in the minds of children not to judge based on the color skin.

The African-American Heritage Committee hopes that the book reading will open a dialog about race.

“I hope the book reading will keep dialogue with race in America and how diversity is important to our country,” said Joycelynn Phillips, the chair of African-American Heritage month committee.

“Velisse is resourceful as a mother and has helped her children deal with discrimination in a positive way.”

Factbox:

Williams is from Joliet, Ill., and currently resides in Dallas, Texas.

She graduated from Eastern in 1988 with a bachelor’s in Communications.

Seven years ago, she took a hiatus from her corporate career to become a stay home mother.

The book was published in September 2007 and can be found in bookstores like Barnes & Nobles, Border’s Books, and Target.

Brittni Garcia can be reached at 581-7942 or at bmgarcia@eiu.edu.