The Kindness and Empathy of Fred Rogers Will Live On Forever

And why you will want to watch the new documentary about his life and work.

I recently found myself with some free time in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We were in town for the weekend so that my wife could attend a friends baby shower, which meant I had some down time. I knew that Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, one of my earliest TV memories, was filmed in the Pittsburgh area and a quick Google search said that the place that I should head to was the Heinz History Center.

I headed over there and gladly paid the $16 admission and headed straight to the 4th floor to view the “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” installation which included:

• The entryway and living room set that Mister Rogers walked through to begin each show.

• King Friday XIII’s Castle.

• Great Oak Tree, the residence of Henrietta Pussycat and X The Owl.

• The display that helped Mister Rogers teach children using interactive media.
• McFeely’s “Speedy Delivery” tricycle.
• A variety of additional items from the “Neighborhood of Make-Believe,” including King Friday XIII’s telephone, Henrietta Pussycat’s outfit, Chef Brockett’s hat, Harriett Elizabeth Cow’s desk, and the bench that Mister Rogers sat on during each show.

Also on view is a life-like figure of Mister Rogers, wearing his iconic sweater, neck tie, khakis, and sneakers.

I was filled with excitement and quickly text my mom, siblings, and friends.

I recently turned 40 years old, and many people my age are drawn to nostalgia. When we think back to Mister Rogers, one thinks of a simpler time. But if you dive into the life-work of this legend, you will find out that the times were far than simple. He used kindness and empathy to show and remind generations of children and adults that kindness and helping will always be greater than greed and selfishness.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s my family and I lived on Long Island, N.Y. We did not have cable television while living there, which meant that we basically got 8–13 channels, one of them being PBS. I grew up on Mister Rogers and Sesame Place. It was a time period when our parents were busy but could turn on the TV and know that the children’s television options on PBS were safe and educational.

Since my visit to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood last weekend, I have become borderline obsessed with traveling down memory lane on the Internet and YouTube.

Ironically a new documentary titled, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” is launching in theatres across the country on June 8. Here is a trailer from that film, which looks amazing.

As a child who grew up watching the second decade of this show that ran an incredible 31 seasons, the impact of Fred Rogers on my own personal life was not felt until now.

As a child you just assume that everyone is kind and empathetic. Then you go out into the world and come across people who may beat you down and at times attack you. As a child I could tell he was a gentle and modest man. But I had no idea of his impact on so many people and how innovative he was at the time.

This year is also the 50th anniversary of the first episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Just a few of the ways that he was innovative

1. One of the first children’s programing designed with child psychology at its core.
2. Talked directly to the audience, directly to the children watching treating them with respect and not talking down to them.
3. As a pacifist he used his first week on air to address his objection to the Vietnam War.
4. Rogers was committed to racial diversity in every single way from the children featured on his show to the people who played characters on his show.
5. During a time of racial divide Rogers created a character of a black police officer keeping everyone safe in the neighborhood. Francois Clemmons debuted as Office Clemmons on August 1, 1968.
6. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 he devoted an entire week to the topic.
7. Beyond a feminist, Rogers was a humanist and created storylines where his female puppets were doing incredible things long before actual human achievements. Rogers arranged for puppet Lady Elaine Fairchilde, to fly to Jupiter and discover Planet Purple. This was 10 years before Sally Ride would become the first U.S. woman in space. Lady Elaine also began anchoring the news at the neighborhood’s television station, two years prior to the first National female anchor.
8. He dedicated several episodes to the topic of divorce, when he realized there was a increase in divorces in the 1980s.
9. He had a 10 year old quadriplegic named Jeffrey Erlanger on the show to teach children that kids with disabilities are no different from them and deserve respect and kindness just like everyone else.
10. Rogers was spiritually progressive, especially for an ordained Presbyterian minister. In 1983 he arranged for Lady Aberlin, played by Betty Aberlin, to sing a quiet song (“Creation”) in which she refers to God as “She.”

These are just a few of the ways that this highly educated and philosophical man, changed the face of television and education as we know it.

The next time that you feel cynical about the current state of the world, head over to YouTube and watch some episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. You will be amazed at how it still stands up and will lift your spirits.