[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 7 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE SPIRIT OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. LIVES ON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 5, 1998

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to continue the celebration of 
the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Last month, I attended 
an event in Deptford Township, New Jersey, honoring Dr. King and his 
dream. Speaking with the people of Deptford, I was struck by how 
significant of an impact Dr. King had on all our lives and, in 
particular, on the lives of our children. Even though Dr. King left 
this world long before they entered it, America's youth have a deep 
understanding of what his message says to us today. I would like to 
share with my colleagues the essays of Krystal Tribbett and Dave 
Forstrom, two local high school students. Their words do much to 
inspire us as we continue our progress to realizing Dr. King's dream.

                    ``Fulfilling Dr. King's Dream''

                         (By Krystal Tribbett)

       ``I have a dream, that one day, my four little children 
     will grow up in a nation where they are not judged by the 
     color of their skin, but by the content of their 
     characters.'' In the future Martin Luther King's dream will 
     come true, not because biased people will change their points 
     of view, but because people will no longer allow themselves 
     to sit in the back of the bus, or the middle, but will place 
     themselves in the front, to become an intricate element in 
     protesting against bigotry in today's society. Men and women 
     of different denominations, creeds, and colors will transcend 
     the negative comments, stereotypes, and statistics in order 
     to become our leaders. The tormented will focus their 
     attention on improving their status and beating the odds 
     stacked against them in order to better themselves, by 
     helping their families and communities. They will improve the 
     nation by improving themselves. They will fight not through 
     violence, but through intelligence. They will use the power 
     of the gray, gray matter, to place their ethnicity, 
     individuality to a respected, revered level in the world.
       The many people of the world are recognized in history for 
     various reasons, for being slaves, illegal aliens, drug 
     dealers, etc. They are also known, however, for being renown 
     actors and singers, scientists, doctors, attorneys, and 
     athletes. In these areas people have begun to exhibit 
     themselves as a powerful force that can reshape history. 
     Youths are the key to the accomplishment of Dr. King's dream. 
     They are setting goals to impact the future. Most 
     importantly, the goals of young people focus on disproving 
     various stereotypes, in order to serve as an example to the 
     older generation, as well as the younger one, that they can 
     be more than drug dealers, clerks, or custodians. They want 
     to prove to biased individuals that anyone and everyone can 
     be anything, and all that they want to be, despite obstacles 
     that they have or will encounter. Everybody can make a 
     difference.
       In the future, great changes are bound to occur in the 
     history of this nation, of this world, because of the 
     remarkable achievements of the people who did not allow 
     ignorance to hold them back. The history makers of tomorrow 
     are recognizing, and taking advantage of the fact that 
     nothing and no one but themselves can keep them from 
     achieving their dreams. True, there will be an element of 
     society who remain ignorant, however adults and juveniles who 
     are knowledgeable and determined will make the difference. 
     The fulfillment of Dr. King's honorable dream is not too far 
     around the corner. Blacks, Whites, Jews, Hispanics, and 
     Asians will put forth their best effort to carry out their 
     plans and become role models that will inform others of 
     prejudice, and how to defeat it. The ambitions are many and 
     the intentions are promising. The great dream of Martin 
     Luther King is going to come true, with the use of the 
     ``gray, lifting up the black.''


     
                                  ____
                         Martin Luther King Jr.

                           (By Dave Forstrom)

       What can one person do to carry on the legacy of this great 
     individual? I feel you must start by acquiring some of his 
     own characteristics. You will need his passion, drive, and 
     most of all his courage. Without these you will never 
     accomplish anything worthwhile. Next, you must look at what 
     he did for African Americans and America as a country. He led 
     a massive movement against racism and prejudice which is 
     unparalleled. The main reason for this is that every one of 
     his marches, rallies, and boycotts was completely peaceful.
       Now that you have a basic idea of what King did you must 
     look at society today and see how you can make an impact on 
     it. The world now is still rampant with racism and it seems 
     like an insurmountable problem. Everywhere you look there is 
     segregation, prejudice, and hatred. Many people choose to 
     ignore it and put it out of their minds. That is where you 
     must make the choice to care and not to ignore but to start 
     making a change for the better.
       I think the next logical step would be to find other people 
     who have made the same choice as you and surround yourself 
     with them. Talk to them and find out what they have done and 
     plan to do. You should also share your experiences with the 
     problem and any ideas that you might have. Together you have 
     many options to choose from. You can start organizing 
     meetings to expand your following and try to get more people 
     involved.
       At these gatherings you could discuss plans on what you are 
     going to do. As a group you could follow Dr. King's example 
     and hold peace marches or boycotts. By making yourselves more 
     public you will be noticed more and be able to spread your 
     message to a larger amount of people. This is important 
     because it will cause people to think about how they feel on 
     this issue and may gain your group more support.
       Another possibility is to seek help from already founded 
     organizations that share your views on racism. You can gain a 
     deeper understanding of what is happening and what needs to 
     be done. This will also be a good starting point and will 
     provide much needed experience for yourself.
       It may also help your quest to write letters to your local 
     government or member of Congress. By getting support from a 
     politician your group would get much more attention and 
     recognition. That would certainly be a great boost and would 
     land you many more members.
       But what if you are not a great leader or cannot devote all 
     your free time to such an organization? Well, there are also 
     ways you can help as well. You could set aside a part of your 
     income each month and try to support the peace groups. You 
     could also set aside some time to attend one of the meetings. 
     But I feel the most important thing is to make that choice to 
     care about racism in your society. Do not ignore it and keep 
     yourself informed about it by reading or watching the news 
     each night. Refuse to let racism continue and eat away at the 
     community. Keep the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. alive 
     and stand up for what is right.

     

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