CATEGORY:  MIDDLE SCHOOL

1st Place:  Untitled by Tyler Z., Morton Magnet Middle School

Martin Luther King Junior was not a celebrity. He never yearned for money or fame. He fought for his community and for equal rights, but he never fought in a way we think someone does. He fought non-violently for something he’d never get to see happen in his lifetime.

Martin Luther King Junior was always non-violent even when he was attacked or threatened. He was always treated horribly simply because of the color of his skin. Despite this great cruelty, he never truly hated the people that treated him this way, or anyone else for that matter. He should be our inspiration to a better tomorrow, with a better community.

As teenagers, we do not believe we have the power to change our community. Even the majority of adults believe they don’t have the power to change our community, unless they become some high political power like the president. No matter who we are, we should believe that we can make a difference! All it takes is one person to create change. Each and every person, no matter who they are or what they do can create change! It all starts with believing in yourself; believing that you can make change. It took one person to create the light bulb! It took one person to create the microwave oven, and it’ll take one person to create change; you.

I know that I am only one person, but I believe that I can make a difference. I believe that I can make my community better, and I know I can do it through volunteering and helping the almost forgotten people that truly need help. I know that I am only one person, but even with small acts such as volunteering or helping others, I am changing my community!

What most people never get to see even the smallest glimpse of, is what even their smallest act of good will have done to their community. You may never fully accomplish your goal, but you will impact other people’s lives for the better. It doesn’t take immense fame or even money; all it takes is two hands and a willingness to help others for the better. You may start with just one mere person, but who knows, you could end up with a thousand that follow in your footsteps.

I may not have a thousand people that follow in my footsteps, but what I would be doing is making a difference. It doesn’t matter what degree you or I or anyone else in the world makes when they help someone. All that matters is that I’m making a difference, fighting for it, and most of all, believing in it! Martin Luther King Junior fought until his death for something he truly believed in with all his heart, and look where it got us today! Change is possible! All you have to do is work hard for it. Freedom is not free, and neither are your dreams!

2nd Place:  My Dream by Taylor, Morton Magnet Middle School

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it’s creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident” that all men are created equally.” This is a quote by a man who fought for his rights. He kept fighting with words, not violence, for many years. Eventually it lead him to his death. This man is Martin Luther King Jr. His vision for the country was equality. He believed that everyone, no matter what race, should have the same rights.

My dream for our community is that everyone is treated equally. Today people are better at not judging others because of their race or how much money they make. Back when Martin Luther King Jr. was alive people of different races could not do the same things. They could not shop in the same stores, play in the same park, they could not even drink from the same water fountain. I imagine people one day all being friends and treating each other equally. I hope that one day everyone has the same chance of getting a job, because they are not chosen depending on race or any other reason.

My dream for our community is that violence is stopped. If people are rude or arrogant to others because of race or gender that could cause anger. Sometimes judging people can lead to violence. People might get very angry and decide to use a weapon to solve their problem. I hope one day violence will stop. That people will use words or something other than violence to solve their problems.

My overall dream for the community is that everyone is nice to each other. If someone just holds the door for another person that would be one step closer to my dream. I think it is very important especially for kids to be nice not only to adults, but also people younger and the same age as them. Kids are the future, if every kid is rude or mean to others our world will be rude and mean. I dream that some day people will be respectful and nice to each other. I do not want people to have to grow up surrounded by rude people.
Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. Not everyone agreed with his dream, but he kept fighting. He did not stop fighting until his dream came true. I think that is how you get your dream, you have to fight for it. That is what I would like to do, I would like to fight for my dream. My dream is that everyone is treated equally, there is no more violence, and overall that everybody in the community is nice to each other. I hope that my dream will come true someday, even if it takes years. If people just take small steps toward my dream, eventually we will have a really, really great community.

3rd Place:  Dreams by Avery, Morton Magnet Middle School

Some people think of dreams as the story your mind reads while fast asleep. They imagine the pictures flashing before their eyes. I think of dreams differently. I see a goal, an ambition, something you work towards until it’s true. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. felt the same way.

Martin Luther King Jr. wanted a world with no discrimination. He wanted segregation to end everywhere. He forced our leaders to take a good look at the society they were and still are creating. I want to help my community as well. I dream of better for this earth, and every person on it. I dream of more. I dream of a world with no violence.

The reality is, even though laws are passed and punishments carried out, there are still people who believe they need to commit unruly acts of violence on innocent human beings. I dream that the violence will end. I dream of a world where I can walk down the street without fear of never walking back the other way. I dream of a world where I can shop at the mall without fear that someone decides to abduct me. I dream of a world where I can go to school every day, to get the education that I need to survive in this world, without fear that someone brought a gun to school and shoots everyone. I dream of a world where I can live my life.

I hope that my children and my grandchildren don’t have to worry about these things. I hope all the future murderers of this world get their head on straight and become the next heroes. I hope those kids who bully others for no other reason other than personal ascetics will realize the damage being done. I know one that this will be true. Probably not in my lifetime. Maybe not even in this century. Yet, I know one day it will be true. One day bullying will be a thing taught in history class, like the civil war. Something you learn about, but never actually see, never experience.

Martin Luther King Jr. did not just dream. He did not sit at home and think about a better future, he made one for himself. I know one day I will have to stand tall for my opinion. Probably not on as large a scale as Martin Luther King Jr. but I will have to defend myself. There will be many battles for my dream, maybe even a war. I know this day will come, but I also know that the end result will be better. That after this war is over, there must be a winner, and truth prevails. The truth is, that we are all human beings and in order to save ourselves and our planet we need to act as one, no seven trillion separate people. We need to realize where we are going, and change our path to where we want to end up.