A Missouri mother posted a video of her 4-year-old daughter to her Facebook page with the caption: “My 4-year-old is crying her heart out, and so am I. I don’t know what to do or say.”
Her reaction was understandable. In the video, little Londyn James is absolutely distraught. “What’s wrong with you? Tell me what’s wrong, why are you crying?” Tomeka Fisher, her mother, asks.
“Because they made me sad. … [The kid] didn’t want to be my friend because she doesn’t like black people,” comes Londyn’s response.
A local news anchor for KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Jeff Cunningham, was so moved by the viral video that he went home and told his daughter, Holland. “As a dad, it just broke my heart to see a child cry, Cunningham told People Magazine. “I also thought it could be a good learning tool for my 5-year-old daughter.”
His daughter, similarly moved by the video, drew a picture of two differently colored girls in crayon with the words: “Dear London. I will be your friend.”
Now, in a second, warmer and fuzzier video, Londyn can be seen smiling and saying, “Thank you for the picture. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you, Holland.”
It’s unclear where the other daycare child learned their racist views of friendship, but one thing is clear: Londyn and her mother will never forget the encounter or the outpouring of support that came after.
“I wanted Londyn to make her a thank-you video because I just thought it was so sweet,” Fisher told People. “I also wanted to show people that there are so many good people out there and that the smallest act of kindness can make someone so happy.”