A six-year-old boy's emotional tribute to Dr Martin Luther King Jr has gone viral after he said the civil rights leader has allowed him to be friends with a black boy.
Stewart Tow told his white mother he was grateful for Dr King's fight for equality because he paved the way for him to be best friends with his black classmate.
The exchange was proudly shared on Facebook by his mum Cindy alongside a picture of the two boys together.
It has attracted thousands of comments and shares in just a few days.
Mum-of-two Cindy, who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, said Stewart arrived home to say: "Mom, can I tell you something weird?"
She says she responded: "Sure."
Stewart then said: "I really can't wait for Martin Luther King Day."
His mum replied: "That's not weird, it sounds like you're really inspired by him."
Then in a sentence that has prompted thousands of praising comments, Stewart said: "Yeah, because if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be able to play with my friend."
One person commented on the post on photo-sharing site Imgur: "That just gave me goosebumps and mini-tears. Awww."
Another said: "My trust in humanity just got restored!"
Responding to praise from Twitter users Cinday wrote: "Thank you. I hope both boys can grow up in a better world than we live in today."