It’s fitting around this time of year to reflect on MLK’s life and work. One question that we often ask is whether or not his dream has been realized. Have we come far enough? Have the barriers to racial equality been torn down sufficiently enough? If King was alive today (he would be 82-years-old this year), would he be satisfied with the progress that has been made? Has King’s dream been realized?
Is it important that we set aside a day to remember the work of Dr. King? What is the best way to commemorate his life? As students, as a school, should we be doing something to remember King and educate the youth of today about his impact on our nation's history?
What do you think? Avoid simple answers. Give me real thought. Read the comments of those posting before you. Come back after you post, and continue to keep up with additional posts until the deadline. I want a real conversation. Invite your parents to read the blog, and they can even comment. Enjoy!
Note: I'm including King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
(32-minute film that we watched in class)
The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306 from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.
Important: Be sure to check back daily as I will be posing new questions and thoughts in the comments section.
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49 comments:
I really do agree that his dream has been realized. Look at it now, blacks are allowed every privilege as whites. They can do anything unlike back in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. I wish Martin was still alive to see what he has accomplished and how proud he would be of his self.
I think Martin L. King does deserve his own holiday. Without him and his speeches I doubt we would have made as much progress as we have today. I still think there is much racism still alive today and that needs to be fixed. I believe we should set aside a day to celebrate him, as well as all he has done. I also believe schools should set aside the day after MLK day to teach students about his life and his goal. If Dr. King was still alive today, I think he would be happy, but not yet satisfied with our status with racism.
Nick Jusevitch
I to think that it is necessary to have a holiday for the one of the most well know people in American history. The things he did are still shown today I mean look at the president, he's African American and that's more than MLK hoped for. There are still parts the country that doesn’t understand that we are all people. Martin Luther King would and should be impossibly proud of his accomplishments.
I really agree with kyle he should have his own holiday.
I think Martin Luther King Junior would be satisfied with the imense progress we have made against racism. He deserves his own holiday. Because without him racism could still be plainly alive. Now thanks to him any person, from any race, can go where ever they want and not be criticized. Sadly only through his death did people finally start taking lager action.
Martin Luther King Junior lives on.
Nick Jusevitch
I think Luke is correct. MLK does still lives on communities around the world.
dr king i bet would be so proud of how we have changed our nation and improved the act against racism!
I think Mr. Valiz's bloggers are critical thinkers! I enjoy reading your very thoughful comments.
Ms. Rod.
This dream has become reality, Martin Luther King Jr. has changed our great nation into an even greter one. It dosent matter if you are white, black, asian, hispanic, albino,or a women, man, or child, we are all brothers and sisters of the Human Race. We will always live on the Greatest home to day,Earth, but we share the Earth with 3 billion others. Are we such savages to discriminate a white man from a black man? woldn't that be the same as saying that males are better than females or vice-versa. I think that we should be able to celebrate his birthday without any stress. This is a national holiday for a reason, some might not like , some enjoy it, it dosn't matter what race or religion you are i think that all men are created equal.
Zach Cote
I think MLK would be satisfied with the results today because today we have a african american president. Also I think we should have a holiday to celebrate him.
Talk to your classmates. Get'em on here. Many people make for a better conversation.
If Dr. King was still alive today, I wonder how he would feel about having a holiday for himself and all he has done, whether he would feel it unnecessary or that he would appreciate it. I also think that having a day off may be a little too much, but I believe a holiday for him is necessary, and that schools should teach students about him and convince students to continue his ideals.
Nick Jusevitch
I think that would be so cool to have Martin here and see his own holiday.
I don't think we have reached his full dream because of all of the racism in the U.S. but there is a example in our very school. This is a example of how much brotherly and sisterly love we are laking between each other. If he was still was alive he would still be working on going to every american and helping achieve that state of love for one another. For some that he was only concerned for blacks and whites he wished for everyone to embrace the love for each other and be able not to agree on everything but not to be racial.
I really agree with just about everyone.I think that Martin Luther King Jr. deserves to be recognized at least once a year. Hes earned his own holiday.It is ashame that he had to die so young never to see his dream eventually come true. Martin L. King Jr. was and is a true hero especialy to African Americans who now enjoy everything that white people do.
Now see I also think after all he has accomplished that he deserves his own holiday. As Nick said he has made extremely large differences in American History. Every time we celebrate him it is because of what I just mentioned. We also celebrate as Mr. Veliz said when we put his name on a street sign. We sometimes even go out and have parades and festivities.
wow u guys got only 18 comments ours got like 121 we got nothing left to talk about
MLK has accomplished a lot but I disagree that he would be 100 percent happy I mean despite his best efforts there is still much racism in the world and I see it every day sometimes toward me but I think that MLK did the best humanly possible job to get rid of it.
I think that we have progressed significantly since the time of Martin Luther King but we still have a long way to go. We have obtained “equal rights” where in the recent past the White Americans had more rights than anyone else. Today everyone’s rights are the same. We can eat in the same restaurants. We can buy sports equipment from the same stores. And now everyone is allowed to vote. His dream opened the door for all races which is a plus. However the fact that people say African American; White American etc. shows that we still have a way to go before people are just people, and there is no discrimination based on skin color. I honestly think that MLK would not want a holiday. Rather, he would just want us to continue with his work against racism where we are seen for who we are not what we look like.
(Well, I guess my last comment didn't show up...)
MLK's dream is alive, if not fulfilled. Many things he wouldn't like are happening today.
Also, for those saying it would be cool to see his own holiday, chances are, if he was alive, he wouldn't have one.
Dr. Martin Luther King gave his life to benefit the United States as a country. Although there is still racial tension, there always will be and it will almost impossible to get rid of. He should have a National holiday for his amazing effort and determination, but people should remember why they are getting the holiday also.
I agree with Jake that if Martin Luther King was still alive today, he would be sastisfied with the huge jump to equal right we have made in the past half century. BUT, we still have many issues left to take care of... Each "race" basically divides themselves up to where there is not communication between one another. Mabey its just me, but there is still alot of improvement to be made. Dr. King deserves his own holiday becuase he changed the life of all Afircan Americans!!
I think we are doing an awesome job on this blog lets keep going and get a good conersation.
Dr. King changed my life and many others. He was fighting for a very important cause and followed through with it. If he were alive today he would be very impressed but he would still fight to get racism out of schools and many other places. Martin L. King Jr. does deserve his own holiday because he made so many speeches and without those our country would be very different.
MLK has definitely made an impact on our current lives. But If he was still alive today would people still talk badly about him like Mr. Veliz said in class?
I think he deserves his own holiday because he devoted his life for one dream, and he achieved it. If he was still alive, I think he'd be proud of all the accomplishments he's made. For example, "black's" can do anything that "white's" can do. I think it's necessary for him to have his own holiday because he put his life into this, and people need to be able to recognize it.
We have gotten far with racism in our country (but still it exists largely), but how would MLK feel about racism in the rest of our world? I guess he would be disappointed with the world for a lot of unnecessary hate.
Grace - I agree it would be interesting to know whether some people would despise Dr. King as much today as they did in the past.
By saying racism exists largely I mean it is still everywhere, but seems to be that it is at a lower level of hatred than in our near past.
Martin Luther KIng jr. was an amazing man. Of course everyone knows he had a dream but what happenend with that dream and how it became reality was whatso amazing. Blacks lived a tortured and awful life. But he helped changed that his idea and leadership inspired everyone, A holiday for him is nowhere near enough for celebrating.
I feel Jason has a great point, he did alot to get the racial towards its end but it will never end. It is in the final stage, but it would only be if there was MLKjr
Good comments.
Robert - Great point, and a great question to consider. Do labels such as African American, Hispanic American (like Mr. Veliz), etc. lead real divisions in our schools, communities, and nation? Would we be better served by doing away with labels? I'd like to hear from others on this topic.
I agree with jake if he had not made all of the things he said he would do then the dream may not have carried on
I agree with kyle he should have his own holiday. I also think he would be so happy that his dream had carried on over the years
I believe that Martian L. King's dream has been realized, just not yet to the extent he wished it to be. Just because in the United States we are against racism there are many other countries where it is still very much alive. I think he would be satisfied with the process the United States has made, but disappointed in the world. Martian Luther King deserves a day to be set aside in his honor. He wasn't afraid to fight against something he believed was wrong, and more people need to realize how important he was to history. I think all schools should set aside their plans for one day, and teach the same thing Martian King would've taught if he was alive today.
I think that if MLK Jr. was still alive today he would be so proud that his dream has been almost completely realized. I bet the person who shot him does not realize what he/she depribed the world and especialy the U.S. of. Martin Luther King Jr. did not deserve to die because someone was angry enough to assasinate him.
I see Robert's point, all people have the same rights but even today, people still aren't fulfilling MLK's dream.
Zach D. - That's true. Many people are saying that he'd like a holiday. If he was still alive, there probably wouldn't be a holiday for him. I think that he deserves a holiday, since he devoted his life to this one dream. Although, I don't think he really needs one. Many people do not actually celebrate when it comes to this day.
Everybody makes a good point. I agree with mostly everybody
I also completely agree with Emma. The US has done a pretty good job but overall, not the world.
I think that people were angry with him because they were jealous of him and what he had dreamed of for the future.
Robert makes an excellent point. He found a new door for us to help with the conflict on racism.
we remember him by how he had a dream that we could all be toghther in sometime thats how i remember him and we remember how he would protest nonvilotenly just peaceful and was always a good man.
I really think that it's important that he has his own holiday. He deserves it. The best way to commerate his life is to never forget about him, let him have his holiday. Learn about him and all of the things that he's done. There is still a lot of racism around today. People don't think of it as a big deal, even when there making a joke. If Martin L. King was still alive today that things would either be the same or better. He would be happy and proud of himself and all of his acomplishments.
I agree with Kyle he really shouldhave his own holiday, and that schools should learn about him.
Racism is a big deal and I think that some people should take it more seriously and try to stop it.
Matin L. King was one of the most important men in the world. He did so much for the poor black garbage men and every african american. All of his speeches are
inspirational and wonderful. I 100% agree with jake and Kyle
I think the best way to commemorate Dr Kings life and works is through each persons actions and reactions to the things they do and encounter each day. It's our daily decisions, the way we talk to and about each other that Reflects what is in our hearts. Before we say something or do something, if we take the time to think about it, we can continue to improve each persons life and situation regardless of the color of their skin or their family heritage. Think of people as people.
MLK has definitely made an impact on our current lives. But If he was still alive today would people still talk badly about him like Mr. Veliz said in class?
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