Dare to Dream
by Martha Blume
What if you could dream the world to be a better place? What would the new, improved world of your dreams look like?
Martin Luther King, Jr. had big dreams as a child. Born black in Georgia in 1929, he grew up in the segregated South, where whites and blacks were separated in schools, on buses, in restaurants, at playgrounds. Every day he had to face signs saying “Whites Only” and “Coloreds Sit in Back.”
King was smart. He started first grade when he was five and studied hard. He loved to read about black heroes like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. Even as a boy, he dreamed that he would one day stand on a platform and make speeches about a better life for blacks.
After receiving his doctorate, King became a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama, and started speaking out for equal rights for blacks. In the 1950s and ’60s, he led marches and demonstrations of thousands and hundreds of thousands of people in support of equality between the races. Back then many laws supported inequality, and to protest those laws Dr. King encouraged — and practiced — civil disobedience. But his protests were always peaceful.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. King gave his “I have a dream” speech at a civil rights march on Washington, D.C. His words became famous. Among the many dreams he spoke of in his rich, rousing voice was this one:
I have a dream that my four 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.
King won the Nobel Peace Prize and paved the way for the integration of blacks and whites in this country. His dream became reality. We honor him every year on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
What if you could dream the world to be a better place? What would your dream be? Write it down or draw a picture of it and hang it up where you can see it every day. Maybe with your brains and determination, you can make your dream come true, too.
Match these civil rights leaders with their achievements:
Harriet Tubman
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A. Spoke out against slavery and in favor of women’s right to vote (19th century)
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Rosa Parks
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B. Lobbied the government to allow free blacks to fight for the North in the Civil War (19th century)
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Frederick Douglass
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C. A white man who led a slave revolt during the Civil War and was hanged for treason (19th century)
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Sojourner Truth
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D. Led hundreds of slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad (19th century)
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John Brown
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E. Refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama (20th century)
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Click here for the answer key to the kid's quiz!
Cool Kids’ Stuff
January 16 & 18
Fables Brought to Life
Kids 2+ enjoy favorite stories acted out on stage, such as “Ant & the Grasshopper,” “Boy Who Cried Wolf” and “Tortoise and the Hare.” Lunch 11am (hot dog or PBJ, chips, drink, and dessert) & Show 12:30pm Jan. 16; Lunch noon & Show 12:30pm Jan. 18 @ Chesapeake Music Hall, Busch’s Frontage Rd., Annapolis. $12; rsvp: 410/626-7515.
January 17
Pig Out at Storytime
Kids of all ages prepare for animal fun with the books If You Give a Pig a Pancake, Olivia and Barnyard Dance. 10am @ Barnes and Noble, Harbour Center, Solomon’s Island Rd. Annapolis: 410/573-1115.
January 18
Leave Animal Tracks
Kids of all ages (w/adult) search the area for animal prints with walk and games. Dress for weather. 10am @ Jacyee’s Building, Kinder Farm Park, Millersville. Free; rsvp: 410/222-6115.
January 21
A Winter Wagon Ride
Kids 3-5 pack a sandwich and bundle up for a wagon ride through the park in search of wildlife. Hot soup provided. Parents welcomed. 10:30am-noon @ Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Gray’s Rd. off Sixes Rd., Prince Frederick. $3 w/discounts; rsvp: 410/535-5327.
January 22 & 23
Warm Winter Wonders
Kids 2-6 snuggle in for stories, music, fingerplays and a craft. Parents welcomed. 9:30am & 10:30am Jan. 22; 7pm Jan. 23 @ Annapolis Public Library, West. St.: 410/222-1750
