A Dream in Progress

 From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

 To the steps of the US Capitol, one long journey.

I remember the I Have a Dream speech when I was in the third grade. I remember it more from classes and news clips. It had a profound effect on me and on my life trying to affect change in my parents, my schools, my community, my country and even world as I traveled.

It seemed a good thing on the anniversary of the March on Washington to ask my students to write. This is the prompt I gave them: Today is the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington. Write what you have read or heard about it. Use SIK (sure I know), SOK (sort of know) and WTK (want to know) sentences.

Gerald was kind enough to type up some of the responses from their journal.

My great-grandfather was at the March on Washington because he used to work w/ Martin Luther King Jr. -Makayla Upkins 

Roy Wilkins, the leader of the NAACP at the time, was asked to announce that W.E.B. Dubois had died. He initially refused to announce the information because he despised Dubois as a communist. He changed his mind because Philip Randolph wouldn't come if he didn't. -Hannah Glenn 

I sort of know the "I Have a Dream Speech" was on a racist-free country, but I am not sure if the whole speech was on that -Melissa Terry 

The March on Washington was intended to gain the attention of people of all races across the nation. -Tyler Mckenzie 

I want to know what our country would be like if Martin Luther King Jr. was not able to give his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. -Jeff Maynard 

I know the March on Washington made a huge difference in life. -Philip Giarintano 

Sure I know that the March on Washington helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -Harmon Singh 

50th anniversary march is when people came from all across the country to the nation's capital to commemorate and celebrate the historic March on Washington which occurred 50 years ago on August 28, 1963 -Keera K. Smith

I want to know why his speech change some of the things that was happening what made the people change. -Kessha 

I don't know what the March on Washington is and I would like to learn about it. -Sam Khinda 

Sure I know that the March on Washington had lasting impacts on American society. -

Sure I know that the March on Washington was a collaborative effort of African Americans to hold a mass demonstration in and around the Lincoln Memorial, reflecting pool, and Washington Momument, where Martin Luther King Jr. have his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.
-Nick Nelson

WTK - how the March on Washington began! -Amber Martin

I want to know why people know this. (50th anniversary of the March on Washington) -Christian H 

How long did it take him to write the speech? -Jack Creely

WTK the immediate results of the March on Washington. -Avani Solanu 

Sure I know that the March of Washington is where Martin Luther King Junior gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech which augmented the civil rights movement for African Americans. -River McGuffie 

SIK: More than just African Americans were in attendance, but there were white people, Latinos, and Asian Americans in attendance. - Stephen Kincses 

I'm sure I know that was the day Martin Luther King jr. gave his speech on equality. -Katie Garrett

Know that after the speech was given in Washington it was spread all over the United States. -Alex Dillon 

I would like to know how different it would be today if the speech didn't happen. -Mary Adelyn Frasier 

WTK- Did his speech inspire people? - Sierra Carson

Fifty years ago today, Martin Luther King, and hundreds of supporters marched through the streets of Washington to peacefully protest the discrimination against African American citizens.
-Dorothy Gault

WTK: Why it was trending on Twitter yesterday instead of today. -Tatum Eckert

SIK That it was a great event that changed history. -Austin Aldy 

Why did the March on Washington happen? -Mary Everett Giles

(SIK) I know Martin Luther King went through a lot of things trying to make his point which led him and a bunch of others to march on Washington D.C. -Ronnie Hinton 

I want to know who all march on the street. -Kentrevious Yancy 

I'm sure I know it was a speech Martin Luther King gave to stand up for the rights of African Americans and other nationalities. -Andrew Vincent 

I want to know the first sentence of the I Have a Dream speech. -Jerry Spencer, Laurel Turman, Sehee Kim, Ashley Owens 

WTK- How long did it take him to prepare the speech? -Nick Cole 

SOK: Martin Luther King Jr. prepared his speech while on a train to Washington. -Unknown 

What effect did his speech have on the people that was there? -Brittney Singleton 

The March on Washington is when Dr. Martin Luther King spoke in Washington to thousands of people. -Josh Ricketts 

WTK: Why it was not done in front of the Washington monument? -Stephen Sego I'm sure I know my Aunt Flow attended the March on Washington. -Mimi Bishop 

I want to know the events leading up to the speech that made MLK so passionate about this speech. -Austin Elsen 

We are sure we know that Martin Luther King Jr. gave a thought provoking speech on equality. -Katie Garrett, Austin Elsen, Nick Cole, Anne Marie Johnson, Sierra Carson 

WTK: Did any major political officials have their minds swayed by Martin Luther King's speech? -Zackery Lee Merchant 

President Obama will be giving a speech on the same spot as Martin Luther today. -Alex Bayel 

Martin Luther King Jr's speech was 14 minutes. -Dayshia Anderson

 

 

After they finished answering the roll call prompt, I shared with them a few personal stories. First, I told them about telling  my wife about coming to a volleyball game since she played in high school. I had just some back from a very exciting victory match by our Lady Jacquars team. My wife quickly reminded me that she did not play volleyball in high school on a team that is. She only played in gym class since THERE WERE NO GIRLS SPORTS TEAMS THEN. I reminded my students that this was less than 40 years ago.  Dr. King’s I have a dream speech and the March on Washington and other civil rights acts helped pave the way for lots of changes including girls sports.

Even after Title IX my daughter wanted to play fast pitch softball along with her slow pitch softball teammates. I had to stand down the principal with my wife and other parents to affect this change. That was less than ten years ago.

Finally, I shared my early almost insignificant part in the early civil rights movement in Memphis, Tennessee. (In 1968, I heard with great interest Dr. King's I have been to the mountain top speech and had an awful feeling that it would be his last. Sadly, very sadly, it was true).  

I was in the third grade the fall before the March. That was in the day when we walked single fall at arms length apart in total silence to the lunch room. When we got there we sat side my side in desks with a lunch partner. The day before we got a new student, the teacher excitedly announced this to the class. “Tomorrow we will get a new student, and his name is John. Who will be his partner?” My name was John and his name was John so I shot my hand into the air. Imagine our shock the next day when John walked in and was the first African American any of us had ever seen in class.

Some asked me if I had kept up with him. Unfortunately, no.  We moved the next year. I tried several times to contact him through the newspapers to no avail.

He was part of a group similar group to the Little Rock 9 except in Memphis. I share that little piece of history. I know in my guts that it changed my life and view of others forever. I am glad my world was expanded that day, and it continues to be broadened.

Thank you, John. Thank you, Martin.