It’s likely that you’ve seen this video of Maxwell and Finnegan, both 2, from September of last year.
The two toddlers, clearly the best of friends, threw inhibition to the wind when they spotted each other from down a New York City block, careening into each others' arms in unrestrained glee.
When the video first raced around the internet, Michael Cisneros, Maxwell’s father, talked about how pure and hopeful the moment was in the grand scheme of things. "The reason that it's getting attention [is] because it is with a little black boy and a little white boy...But if it can change someone's mind, you know, or just change their view on things, then it's totally worth it," he told CNN last year.
When the boys recently reunited via video call during a CNN town hall in collaboration with "Sesame Street," Erica Russo McKenna, Finnegan's mother, said that the two have "a very special friendship," citing how her son tends to be more of a daredevil while Maxwell acts as the voice of reason.
The boys turn 3 in July, and as we come up on the anniversary of this too-cute-for-words video amid worldwide, race-fueled protests, the pair's parents are reflecting on what their sons' no-holds-barred love for each other could one day mean for the world at large.
"I didn't see it at the time, but I see it now. It was a beacon of hope," Cisneros told TODAY. "It shows love and what the future could be like if children were raised in a different way...It's going to be kind of iconic. I’ve gotten messages from people all around the world."
And, in response to the kind of revolution we're seeing in our country right now, he shared, "I'm super proud the video has brought so much happiness and hope."
Understanding how their sons' innocent friendship can inspire so many, the Cisneroses and McKennas set up an Instagram account called Wellegan ("Maxwell" and "Finnegan") in order to share resources and other accounts made to educate and encourage change around the world for the BIPOC community -- and also their fair share of important Cute Kid Content, for good measure.
"I hope we raise two little activists," Cisneros said. "Children do see color, but it doesn’t matter to them."