Won’t You Still Be Our Neighbor?: Fred Rogers’ Legacy Lives On In 2026
During this month’s Super Bowl, pop singer and actress Lady Gaga created her own rendition of the opening song to “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” theme song, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” Her remake was heard by millions as part of a Super Bowl ad.
The resurfacing of a Fred Rogers’ message is nothing new. Although he died in February 2003, his wisdom and advice seem to make a comeback every time there is a national crisis or tragedy. This year is no different.
Rogers was taught by his mother to “look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” This would lead him to say he would always recall his mother’s words in times of “disaster.” Today, when misfortune strikes, Rogers’ words are recirculated through social media again and again.
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Emma Swift Lee, Director of the Fred Rogers Institute, said: “When we’re wanting some comfort and some reminders that there is good in the world, it’s so easy to turn to Fred Rogers legacy.”
In her YouTube video providing a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the song, Lady Gaga said, “Mister Rogers is clearly someone that stood for something, and it’s powerful to think of what he [Rogers] would say right now. And it’s kind of a special song to revisit at this time.”
Rogers was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1963. His ministry, reluctantly approved by the Pittsburgh Presbytery, was focused on reaching children through the medium of television. His ministry has continued, even after his death, in a variety of ways.
March 20 marks Rogers’ birthday and is the same day the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has chosen to highlight his work. They provide online resources, including an outline for an intergenerational worship service and a guide to Neighboring Sunday — a worship and neighborhood immersion experience.
Miatta Wilson, a Christian Formation Associate, said the denomination placed Fred Rogers Day on their calendar as a way to lift up things that were important to the children’s TV host as well as PCUSA. Those virtues include peacemaking, kindness and neighborliness as well as how churchgoers live out their faith.
Neighborhood immersion is one way congregations are encouraged to commemorate the day.
“Some congregations will challenge their members to go out that week and be a neighbor to someone and then come back and share,” Wilson said.
She pointed out two resources — Building Our Neighborhood Together and Peacemaking in the Family — as outreach first developed decades ago by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program that have been revitalized in recent years to keep the ideas of Rogers relevant today.
And, seeing how important music was to Rogers, in addition to the curricula and study guides the denomination provides, Wilson said when Mr. Rogers Day fell on a Sunday a few of years ago, they also circulated liturgies and a new hymn “Jesus, Teach Us to be Neighbors” written by David Gambrell in 2022.
The music of Fred Rogers also translates well internationally during these unsettling times. The Messiah University Concert Choir will include the classic “It’s You I Like” as part of the program for an upcoming world tour this May through Estonia, Finland and Latvia.
Director Joy Meade said Rogers’ music fits well within an overall program around the theme of peace-building.
“We want to bring the best of our country and have people see the humanity in individuals and connections, and we think this piece is one that shows that,” he said.
Meade added that she hopes audiences leave the performances with the understanding that connection and neighborliness are a form of peacebuilding and are grateful to see young people making those choices in their formative years.
The Fred Rogers Institute said it promotes the legacy of Fred Rogers by “investing in the strengths of families and caring adults to support the healthy development of children.” Housed on the campus of St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Penn., the institute was established and planned under Rogers’ guidance prior to his death in 2003. Their work provides ongoing education opportunities with a focus on adults who serve children. Each year, the institute hosts The Works of Fred Rogers Conference, featuring presentations on ways his legacy remains in action today.
The institute also operates the Educator’s Neighborhood, a community of educators who continue to learn from and draw inspiration from Rogers’ life and work. Lee said that over the last six years, an alumni base of 1,000 people has been built, with over 200 active participants this year engaged for the very first time. Forty-eight of the 50 states are represented, as well as a number of countries from around the globe.
She said international participation is very important.
“This is just not nostalgia for people, people who grew up with a television show in the United States. Rather, this represents a group of people who have a similar passion for education, care and a really deep respect for children,” Lee added.
Perhaps the most widely recognized way the philosophy and theology of Fred Rogers remains relevant today is through the television programs produced by Fred Rogers Productions. Originally formed in 1971 as the production company behind “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” the company rebranded in 2018. Today, it is responsible for seven children’s television series airing in nearly 200 countries. The shows range from the animated “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” to the Emmy award-winning live-action series “Odd Squad.”
Whether it is a reminder to look for the helpers during times of crisis or encouragement to foster genuine connections with our neighbors, Rogers’ legacy continues to be relevant today.
Ed Arke is a Professor of Communication at Messiah University in central Pennsylvania. He primarily teaches broadcast and journalism classes along with media literacy. A teaching career of over 25 years followed 13 years in radio, primarily as a news anchor, with the last seven years at the NPR affiliate in Harrisburg, Penn.