Last week during the Superbowl, a commercial came on for the youth initiatives supported by NFL players. In the ad, the football players led groups of young kids in a kind of “football” cheer that invited the young people to join in declaring, “I am somebody.” “I may be young. I may be small. But I am somebody. My clothes may look different. My face may look different. My hair may look different. But I am somebody. I must be respected. I must be protected. Never be rejected. Because I am somebody.” The mantra encourages youngsters to recognize their worth and to celebrate their uniqueness as beautiful and worthy of respect.

The phrase has a long history. Rev. Jesse Jackson in fact used this very phrase back in 1963, calling for dignity and respect, not just for kids, for all people.[1] He u…