The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been one of the most examined in American History. Students in classrooms around the globe have had an opportunity to consider the life of the civil rights pioneer. The legacy of the Southern Freedom Movement has empowered teachers to craft new ways of introducing students to identity, has motivated writers to step away from comfort and courageously bear witness to struggle, and has set a foundation for artists to create visual images used to speak to the human spirit. Dr. King and his contemporaries were committed to love and justice. We continue the work by hosting the annual MLK Challenge in 2022. The theme of this year’s program is Building the Beloved Community.

The MLK Challenge has taken place annually for ten years, and I had the opportunity to be a team leader for the 2016 students. That year, weather played a crucial role. I got the call early and took the drive from Jacksonville, where I stayed during that time to Little Rock. The day of the 2016 MLK Challenge was icy, and there was heavy traffic; however, despite all the morning's obstacles, I arrived at the museum and wondered if any students would arrive. As the museum opened, parents and students of the community came to the museum and signed into the event. Every year the service sites vary but often include cemeteries to discuss preservation, food pantries, nursing homes, hospitals and also clothing distribution sites.  They assigned tasks for all the students to begin.  I decided to work in the store to organize the product and sweep up. I spoke to the students about school and asked them what they had learned about Dr. King. I knew one of my tasks would be to teach later in the day so, I wanted to understand the knowledge level of the students. The students informed me they knew about some of Dr. King's achievements, but they understood his importance to the American experience. Once we finished our tasks, we went back to the museum and, the students joined their groups for teaching.

I remember inviting students into the classroom and turning on the projector to begin the program Speaking Up Speaking Out. The program is a classic for many who have worked for Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. The program centers on understanding how people use their voices to create a better future for themselves. The Speaking Up Speaking Out program has always held a special place in my heart as students take the opportunity to use their voices and create wearable buttons to speak for issues or causes, they care to address. 

Throughout his career, Dr. King showed a complex relationship with the young activists who fought through the late 1960s around self-definition in the Black Power movement but, in this program, I wanted students to understand Dr. King's influence as a direct tie to the human rights movement in the present. We dissected the sit-ins of the 1960s and their relationship to Arkansas. We discussed nonviolence as some students held oppositional views to nonviolence. I gave them the space to discuss, decide, and learn from each other we were then asked to go back to the ballroom and connect to a larger group. The students were asked to reconnect with the groups and discuss what they had learned that day. I was so proud to hear when several of the students I worked with got up and leaned into the power of protest and how it has tied into the Black historical experience. Their passion was palpable. I was incredibly proud! I finished the program and reflected on the legacy of Dr. King and how students gravitated toward the discussion of the day. Today, as Director of Education, I am excited to revisit the life of Dr. King with a new group of youth leaders. The MLK Challenge of 2022 will deeply consider the life of Dr. King and his work of coalition building. I am excited to connect with students to think through some of these ideas and consider how they impact our current generation.