Stand up – Stand up
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. This was the quote from Martin Luther King Jr. which 1-12 school age children in West Virginia were invited to discuss in an essay, film or song for 2019 Martin Luther King Jr.contest. The winner in each age category were then invited to attend a breakfast and awards ceremony on January 21 at the YWCA in Wheeling, WV. This is, I think, the 30th year that the YWCA has sponsored this contest. The only change has been adding the categories of song and film. There are 1st, second and third place winners. For a variety of reasons most of the winners are of a race other than African American. I am sure that this is true, in part, because:
Other Martin Luther King celebration events may have a slightly more diverse attendance. Religious services tend to attract more African Americans and have, over the years, gradually become more inclusive of different religious traditions.
The young people who did submit essays, films and songs were articulate, thoughtful, sincere and creative. Their families and some of the teachers were enormously supportive. Clearly some schools and some teachers seemed more able to attract and support students In these creative efforts. Family members and teachers who did attend the event had to have time off work, the funds to travel and today a safe car to make the journey on snowy and icy roads.
I forgot to ask Ron Scott, the person currently in charge of the program the total number of entries and what percentage of 1-12 age student were represented.
There is currently no way of knowing the percentage of students in all of West Virginia schools who are regularly invited and challenged to write essays ,make films or use other artistic talents on such important moral and ethical topics as those often addressed by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. If the behavior of many of our so-called leaders in politics, religion, and other areas of our community and work life are typical it would seem that we have not been challenging them or ourselves to think cogently and creatively about moral and ethical issues. Clearly, “pouring” some ethical or moral rules into the heads of children is not helpful nor effective in creating leaders who are adept at thinking inclusively and out the box.
Of course, challenging our children means first challenging ourselves. In order to have the luxury of being able to do that we, as a society, must, at a minimum:
I am not suggesting that we can insure that all children grow up to be free of mental illness or emotional problems. We certainly are not at that point in our evolution. We do have power over many of the factors which will make a huge difference for the majority of children who will soon be adult leaders and mentors.
If we want to move a step closer to the dreams and ideals of Martin Luther King Jr we have to raise children whose self-esteem is independent of the need to discount the sacredness of others. We know that all forms of bullying, oppression and discrimination are related to a need to prove one self worth at the expense of another person(s) or socially constructed group.
These are not unrealistic goals. We can elect leaders who care enough to ensure that we allocate the resources needed to raise children who are emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually healthy adults. We can raise children who become adults committed to creating communities where the ideals of such leaders as Martin Luther King Jr. are the reality; communities where we are not silent about what matters.
Written January 22, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. This was the quote from Martin Luther King Jr. which 1-12 school age children in West Virginia were invited to discuss in an essay, film or song for 2019 Martin Luther King Jr.contest. The winner in each age category were then invited to attend a breakfast and awards ceremony on January 21 at the YWCA in Wheeling, WV. This is, I think, the 30th year that the YWCA has sponsored this contest. The only change has been adding the categories of song and film. There are 1st, second and third place winners. For a variety of reasons most of the winners are of a race other than African American. I am sure that this is true, in part, because:
- West Virginia has a low percentage of African Americans.
- The results of implicit and explicit racism
Other Martin Luther King celebration events may have a slightly more diverse attendance. Religious services tend to attract more African Americans and have, over the years, gradually become more inclusive of different religious traditions.
The young people who did submit essays, films and songs were articulate, thoughtful, sincere and creative. Their families and some of the teachers were enormously supportive. Clearly some schools and some teachers seemed more able to attract and support students In these creative efforts. Family members and teachers who did attend the event had to have time off work, the funds to travel and today a safe car to make the journey on snowy and icy roads.
I forgot to ask Ron Scott, the person currently in charge of the program the total number of entries and what percentage of 1-12 age student were represented.
There is currently no way of knowing the percentage of students in all of West Virginia schools who are regularly invited and challenged to write essays ,make films or use other artistic talents on such important moral and ethical topics as those often addressed by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. If the behavior of many of our so-called leaders in politics, religion, and other areas of our community and work life are typical it would seem that we have not been challenging them or ourselves to think cogently and creatively about moral and ethical issues. Clearly, “pouring” some ethical or moral rules into the heads of children is not helpful nor effective in creating leaders who are adept at thinking inclusively and out the box.
Of course, challenging our children means first challenging ourselves. In order to have the luxury of being able to do that we, as a society, must, at a minimum:
- Have national health care which is inclusive. Do we doubt that heathy people have healthier minds?
- Insure that all people have access to healthy food, safe and affordable housing, and a means of earning a decent living.
- Insure that parenting is treated as a valuable job 24 hours a day.
- Have teachers who are well trained, have a passion for teaching/learning and a decent income.
- Insure that all schools are treated equally. In many cases this means that they are equally funded.
- Insure the emotional, academic, physical and mental needs of the children are met.
- Insure teachers and parents are able to design program which meet the needs of diverse students
- Provide one on one mentors for students who do not have access to healthy, available mentors in their family of origin.
I am not suggesting that we can insure that all children grow up to be free of mental illness or emotional problems. We certainly are not at that point in our evolution. We do have power over many of the factors which will make a huge difference for the majority of children who will soon be adult leaders and mentors.
If we want to move a step closer to the dreams and ideals of Martin Luther King Jr we have to raise children whose self-esteem is independent of the need to discount the sacredness of others. We know that all forms of bullying, oppression and discrimination are related to a need to prove one self worth at the expense of another person(s) or socially constructed group.
These are not unrealistic goals. We can elect leaders who care enough to ensure that we allocate the resources needed to raise children who are emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually healthy adults. We can raise children who become adults committed to creating communities where the ideals of such leaders as Martin Luther King Jr. are the reality; communities where we are not silent about what matters.
Written January 22, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
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