My View Nyccole Riley The Salem News Thu Jan 27, 2011, 05:45 AM EST
Salem State University held its annual Martin Luther King Jr. convocation on Monday, Jan. 24. Among those honored were the winners of a student essay contest involving 19 Massachusetts communities. Entrants were asked to respond to the following:
"What would you say to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. if you had the opportunity to sit and speak with him today?"
Here is one of the winning entries, submitted by Nyccole Riley, a student at the Collins Middle School in Salem:
If I had the incredible opportunity to sit and speak with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. today, I would have plenty to say to him. He has not only left his legacy, he has been a superior role model for everyone, no matter your race, gender, religion, political views, etc. He is a true American hero.
Undoubtedly, the first thing I would say to him would be thank you. Thank you for standing up to something that you knew was wrong. It was crucial for someone to stop the imbalance in the world.
I would say thank you for showing that we are on this Earth at the same time for a purpose and we need to set our differences aside and come together as one. I would also say thank you for giving colored individuals equal rights and thank you for stepping up and representing all the people who have been brutally beaten or murdered just because of their skin color.
I would tell him that what he has done has enhanced the world and that he has not been forgotten.
I would tell him that he has statues all around the world, he has a U.S. federal holiday on the third Monday in January named in his honor and that he has earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004, and more, and that these medals were well-deserved.
Even though he had a life not guaranteed, he made the risky decision to stick up for the colored people, and it was worth it because he gave millions of people freedom.
The next thing I would do is to ask him some questions. First I would tell him that we have an African-American president and then ask him what he thinks of that.
I would tell him that if it hadn't been for him, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X and others who stood up for their rights, having an African-American president would have been impossible.
In addition to that, I would inquire if he believed he would have run for president. One person Rev. King looked up to was Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth president. President Lincoln was honest and fought to free the slaves.
"Would you do the same?" I would ask him. Or would you have changed laws or focused more on other things like the economy or bringing troops home?
The following question would be what many people have contemplated: Would Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. be against or alongside gay rights? Coretta Scott King (Rev. Martin Luther King's wife) said she believed he would have supported it; but Bernice, Rev. King's daughter, disagrees. Either way, it would have been Rev. King's decision and most likely his family would have supported him.
To further the conversation, I would finally tell him what an exceptionally true leader he still is today. I would tell him that in my eyes, a leader is not just someone who guides people and takes charge; but that a true leader is a person who can guide people in the appropriate direction, a person who many look up to, a person who gives before he receives, and a person who is not forgotten. This defines Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. perfectly, and because of this, countless numbers of people are influenced by him.
I would tell him that the nation is proud because he had the courage to stand up for what he believed in, and encouraged millions to do the same.
Two of his famous quotes: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter;" and "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase," are inspiring mottoes which I feel people should live by. These sayings prove his treacherous climb to freedom and that he is a true leader.
I would conclude my discussion with Rev. King, in one sentence. I would tell him that not only did he transform the world, but that he proved that with just one dream, perseverance, patience and love, dreams can really come true.
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