A local middle school student is the winner of the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Essay Contest, sponsored by the Elon University Multicultural Center. Details...
Wesley Brewer, a seventh-grade student at Turrentine Middle School in Burlington, was recognized during Elon’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address program Wednesday, Jan. 10.
The contest, open to middle school students in Alamance County, asks students to write a 250-500 word essay describing their personal efforts to keep King’s dream of equality alive. His essay appears below:
by Wesley Brewer
One quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., states, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” I do not choose my friends based on the color of their skin or the religion they practice. I have many friends and teammates that have different color of skin or have different religious beliefs from me. I try to set an example for others in the community that I live and the school I attend that you can interact with all races.
Martin Luther King, Jr., also said that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Each student at Turrentine Middle School has the opportunity to excel academically and athletically. All students no matter the color of their skin are given the opportunity to excel. During the era that Martin Luther King, Jr., lived, white children and black children did not attend the same schools. The black children did not have the same opportunities.
I recently had the opportunity to visit Birmingham, Alabama. I was able to fully understand the struggles of the black man as I walked through the Civil Rights Institute and Freedom Park. There were statues in the park of young people being sprayed with fire hoses to keep them from standing up for their rights. There were also statues of police officers with ferocious dogs that were released to attack the black protestors.
I will continue to choose my friends based on their character, not the color of their skin. I have many friends who have a different color of skin and find it very hurtful when I hear other students put them down based on their race. It is very unfortunate that people form opinions without getting to know the person from the inside out. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a peacemaker and worked hard for equal treatment of the different races. He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his noble work in these areas.