1Keynote speaker was Ernest G. Green, one of nine black students to enroll at Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., following the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation was illegal.
As part of the program, a group of local students were recognized for essays they had written on the subject of King's legacy. Here are the three winning entries:
Renee Osaigbovo, Salem High School
Dr. King paved the way to integrated schools and to equal opportunity for African-Americans. King once said in his famous, "I Have a Dream" speech:
"Now I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will 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."
Laws have since been created to stop racial segregation, but why are there no laws that ensure that no one is bullied, or treated unequal due to any number of circumstances?
One would think that caring about others is part of Dr. King's dream of a nation rising up and living out the expectations we've placed upon ourselves. But it seems as if that aspect has been disregarded.
Don't be mistaken, bullying isn't exclusive to the United States. It's occurring around the world and is spreading like an epidemic.
Whatever happened to love and unity among people? Simply talking about it won't end it, but I'm hoping it would raise awareness once again.
I feel that in order to overcome this worldwide epidemic, Dr. King would say we must truly learn empathy. King would be disappointed by our lack of understanding of our fellow man.
Nowadays, it's the norm for children to tease others based on parental income. If children as young as 5 can sneer at fellow children and call them poor, what kind of example is being set for them if their behavior is simply regarded as child's play? Also, the way we treat the homeless is nothing short of despicable. If a beggar reached out to Dr. King and requested a dollar, do you truly believe Dr. King would give an insult instead?
How can we say that we've come a long way if we've just changed the methods of degrading others? King would think bullying is the result of a disunited people.
Yet sympathy is considered a quality of antiquity to the majority of people today. You often hear the elderly say that chivalry is dead. You'd see someone getting bullied and just keep walking, probably with the thought, "It doesn't concern me."
We have no unity. It is evident in the simple fact that there are races. Aren't we all people? Did Dr. King work for absolutely nothing?
Children having to get depression medication at the tender age of 6 means that no one is encouraging them to be more. Their confidence is already running out.
There is too small a group of people trying to change things. The only way we can absolutely overcome bullying is if we go back to the basics and have love and respect for others.
To learn empathy, we have to come together. All men are created equal. No matter what, that fact will always rule true. Dr. King would've wanted us to stand back, look at ourselves, and realize action has to be taken.
I'm ready to join the movement against bullying. But is there still enough time to change? I also have a dream. My dream is for this nation, this world to rise and unite; not just for the moment, but forever.
Guthrie Scrimgeour, Collins Middle School, Salem
It was always Dr. King's firmest belief that all people, black or white, rich or poor, should be treated equally.
The action he took for what he believed in has truly changed the face of the country for the better. However, no man, not even Dr. King himself, could have completely wiped out discrimination.
Though prejudice and inequality has been driven out of sight, to say that it has been completely eradicated would be denying obvious facts. The most blatant of these injustices, I feel, is our society's treatment of homosexuals.
It isn't very hard to see that homophobia is a dominant force in our nation. In fact, unlike racism, which has become socially intolerable, being homophobic is an acceptable viewpoint to have. Politicians talk openly about how homosexuality is corrupting the country, laws have allowed the bullying of gay students, and same-sex marriage has been compared to polygamy and incest.
This hatred is reminiscent of 1960s racism and is destroying what Dr. King built. Being a middle school student, I've seen firsthand what effect our homophobia has had on children.
For most eighth-graders the word "gay" essentially means stupid, or worse. Every day, just walking through the hallway, I hear homophobic slurs.
Dr. King always believed in the power of love and hoped that love would conquer hate. What kind of people are we being if we teach our children to hate each other rather than to like one another?
There is already a great argument as to which side Dr. King would take in this issue. King, being a firm believer in traditional Christianity, might have been in favor of these homophobic opinions. I, however, personally believe that Dr. King would be able to see past religious differences, and understand that we are all human, and we all deserve equality. It's true that Dr. King believed strongly in the Bible, but he believed in using religion to bring people happiness, not to suppress them.
As Dr. King once said, "I have decided to stick to love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
Jordan Cooper, Horace Mann Lab School, Salem
Martin Luther King Jr. was a proud, noble man. He believed in a world with no fear or segregation. Injustice, he determined, was the one thing that he was going to end.
King had a dream that one day we would all live in peace. Today, there are still many injustices. One that continues to grow is bullying.
Racism and bullying may seem like two different things, but they are very similar. Dr. King preached the end of segregation, but isn't bullying a form of segregation? Making people feel inferior and alone is truly an injustice.
In today's society, people believe that if you are different, you are not equal. People bully to feel dominant over others. Put simply, Martin Luther King would be ashamed.
This is a very serious issue. No matter what your personality is, no matter if you are African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic, red-haired, blonde, brunette, skinny or big, it shouldn't matter. You are who you are. I believe if we could all accept each other and live in peace, the world would be OK.
I myself have a dream to end all of this. Different is OK. You should be able to be yourself. The world is made up of different people.
One of the worst things that we as kids deal with is cyberbullying. This takes your freedom away in places that should be safe — your home and school. Cyberbullying can cause agonizing pain. When people are bullied this way, they have no defense. The bullies use the Internet and technology to publicly and privately attack people.
Dr. King said, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." It is important that those who are bullied do not give up. They should keep on with their life. Things will get better.
Physical bullying is another issue. This makes a child who is bullied not want to go to school. It makes them feel ashamed.
Not only is the physical harm bad, but the fact that someone is standing in the way of someone else's right to an education is even worse. Bullying can cause the victim to lose hope completely.
King once said, "If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl; but whatever you do keep moving forward."
I interpret this to mean that no matter what happens, you need to move forward, and that is exactly what you need to do in this situation. Move beyond the bullying. Show the bully you are above them through perseverance and pride. Challenge their ignorance and hold your head high.
When I think of the pain that bullying causes, I realize what I have and what Dr. King has given us: Hope.
"Now I say to you my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream." That is exactly what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and I both stand for.
Today is today, and there is no reason not to love and accept today. As we come together today and tomorrow, Dr. King would be proud to call himself an American, a true American.
Today is the day to fight back. We shall overcome.
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