On January 15th, we celebrated the birth of an extraordinary human and great
American. Most of us are aware of the super human efforts Martin Luther King
Jr. made to help bring about justice for the oppressed people of the United
States. We are familiar with his dream, “That [his] four children would one day
live in a nation where they would not be judged by the color of their skin but
by the content of their character.”
He was
an exceptional orator and his words resonate well with students. After studying
and listening to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” I asked some 8th
graders to put into their own words what King was striving for. Here are a few
of their surprisingly insightful responses.
Katrina
stated, “The steps that Dr. King believes that Americans must take to make the
American dream a reality is to change the world into a brotherhood. People have
to come to see that no individual can live alone, no nation can survive alone.”
John
believes, “King was hoping to fulfill his dream that men of all races, of all
nationalities and of all creeds can live together as brothers.”
Sydney
thinks, “Dr. King believed that Americans must take legal steps to make his
dream a reality. “
“Kerry
wrote, “He says that soon all men will sit together at a table of brotherhood
because all men are created equal. That everyone will live in freedom and
justice one day. That no one will be judged by the color of their skin. That is
his dream.”
Stephen
affirmed, “He is notifying the people that the time to solve the problem of
racism is now. It would be bad for the nation to procrastinate on solving this
problem. He also states that there will be consequences if minorities do not
get their citizenship rights.”
Ashley
asserted, “Martin Luther King’s dream was that even Alabama would be
transformed into a place where Black and White people can live together in
peace and happiness. He dreamt that all the people would see the Lord’s glory
and from the people’s faith would come hope to transform our nation into a
place where different people can live amongst each other happily.”
If you
are looking to remember and learn a bit more about one of the most influential
visionaries in American history, here are a few great reads:
Adults
will enjoy The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is actually a
biography written by Stanford University historian Clayborne Carson. It begins
with a forward by Coretta Scott King.
Third
graders and up will enjoy I Have a Dream: The Story of MLK, Jr., by
Margaret Davidson. Davidson shows how one man, armed with strong convictions
and an excellent education, changed the way African Americans were treated. It
puts in plain words King’s philosophy of non-violence.
Very
young readers will benefit from, A Picture Book of MLK, Jr. by David
Adler. Adler highlights Dr. King’s dream of a world free of hate, prejudice and
violence.
To
experience his oratory greatness, go to your local library and check out one of
the many films on his life and labors or go to, www.youtube.com and search
for MLK speeches.
His
words of brotherly love, hope and equality have weathered the test of time and
we can all benefit from studying, reflecting and acting on his message.
Contact
Margaret Lavin at elementarydays@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment