In Portugal, in an attempt to boost sales I am sure, magazines and newspapers have campaigns whereby if you purchase the magazine or newspaper you get something free or you can purchase an item for a much reduced price. I usually pass on the ‘bag’ campaigns, but I admit I am a sucker for educational materials. In the past I have purchased the additional books, usually for my father. Just last week I bought the Biography of Steve Jobs for 1€! My father read it in a couple of days. One campaign I somehow completely missed out on was for Portuguese English bilingual fairy tale books. Typically I do not like bilingual children’s book, but these are fabulous. They were brought to my attention by a friend who works at a gas station. I bought every copy in the series I could get my hands on. We are keeping a copy of each one and the others are gifts for friends back home.

A few weeks ago a new campaign was started through Expresso Newspaper. It included a free poster and 4 weeks of stickers and information on the Kings of Portugal. Knowing nothing about our royal past I thought this would be great for the kids as well as myself.

Yesterday while having breakfast, Lana looks over at the poster as asks almost in an alarmed tone, “Mom, there are no black kings!” Knowing my country’s history, I think my response was, “Of course not”…or “I know.” Honestly, I am not sure even now that Portugal has it in itself to vote in a black man or a a woman for that matter. It took me a second to process that this child has taken for granted the assumption that a black man can be the leader of a nation. For these past 4 years, her president, yes, she still considers herself very American, is a black man. I don’t know if she remembers any of her other presidents. It was such a truly awesome moment for me. Four years ago, I did not know if America had it in itself to vote a black man into power and here my daughter assumes it’s a natural thing. Think what you may about his politics, but I think it’s an awesome shift in thinking.

Now, I did not mar the moment with delving into Portugal’s ugly history in the slave trade and the story of  it’s colonization of African, Asian and South American lands. In part because I did not want to come down from my high. But also people, we were running late for school!