ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 20, 1997 TAG: 9701210057
SECTION: NEWSFUN PAGE: NF-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN GRIESSMAYER STAFF WRITER
"I have a dream that one day, sons of former slaves and sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."
You memorized his name in social studies class. You read his "I Have a Dream" speech. You know he preached about peace and equality.
But how much do you really know about Martin Luther King?
Martin Luther King was an American civil rights leader who worked to achieve equality not just for black people, but for all Americans: black and white, rich and poor, from all religious backgrounds.
He was a peaceful man, a minister who used nonviolent methods to reach his goal. He fought hard against the traditions and laws of the time that forced blacks to use separate schools, bathrooms and even water fountains.
In 1955, King led his first protest against the public buses in Montgomery, Ala. At the time, black people had to ride in the back of the bus, but the boycott (to join with others and refuse to buy, sell or use something) that King organized changed all that.
King led many peaceful marches, sit-ins (people sat down in a certain place and refused to move as a way of protesting) and demonstrations in the 1950s and 1960s, in cities all over the South. One of the more famous marches was from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery, which brought attention to certain rules that made it harder for black people to vote.
One of King's most famous speeches was his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, D.C. From the Lincoln Memorial, he spoke of equality to a group of more than 200,000 supporters. That's four times more people than would fit in Virginia Tech's football stadium!
King's dedication to peaceful protest eventually proved successful, and one-by-one the states overturned discrimination laws and replaced them with ones guaranteeing equality for all people.
Because of the work of King and other civil rights leaders, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the government quickened its work to erase the idea of "separate but equal."
Martin Luther King was shot and killed in 1968, but his legacy of peace, equality and acceptance was not forgotten. He is still a hero to most people, and he is recognized every year on Martin Luther King Day, which is today.
"I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by content of their character."
Now that you've learned a little more about King, you can see why so many people honor him today.
At schools all over the area, classes learned about Martin Luther King and did special projects to study his life.
Students at the Roanoke Academy for Math and Science worked on a bulletin board last week to pay tribute to King. On it they put worksheets, pictures and facts about his life.
They also wrote about their dreams. Corey Steelman, a third-grader, said his dream is to play pro football for the Green Bay Packers.
"I'd also give money to poor people so they could buy food," Corey said.
Another third-grader, Christan Jones, had some kind words to say about King.
"He was very nice," she said. "And intelligent. He wanted everybody to love each other."
Christan's dream is to be a gym teacher and help people. She said she'd like to give money to the poor, too.
Tanisha Smith and Sheena Rosser, fifth-graders at the Academy who learned a lot about King recently, had some good ideas for celebrating Martin Luther King Day. They suggested having a parade to honor the civil rights leader, or reading a book about him.
"Or you could just be nice to other people," Tanisha said.
They both thought King would like that. Most of the ideas centered around equality and peace and justice. King's message was simple: Be nice to others. Treat them as you would like to be treated.
"He helped white and black people to try to live together in peace," Sheena said. "He worked so that there would be no prejudice."
"I have a dream that little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
So what are you going to do today to honor Martin Luther King?
Will you take part in a parade or vigil to remember his accomplishments? Or talk about him with your teacher, parents or friends? Or maybe read a book about his life?
If you can't think of anything else to do, you can just quietly reflect on the message that this civil rights leader and American hero tried to pass along:
"I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream that one day this nation will be able to rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: JANEL RHODA/Staff. Pupils at Roanoke Academy for Mathby CNBand Science (from left): Tanisha Smith, Christan Jones, Corey
Steelman and Sheena Rosser stand before a bulletin board depicting
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