Ten-year-old Omar Omar has dreams.
But not the kind that quickly dissipate from memory when daylight breaks. In fact, Omar’s dreams are the kind that only become more real as daylight grows stronger. The same kinds of dreams that helped usher this country out of its own darkness more than 40 years ago.
I have a dream ...
Omar wants to someday fight injustice by becoming a lawyer and “complaining against the other person.” Omar also said he wants to help those in need as well as put an end to world pollution.
Nine-year-old Tonya Parker dreams of feeding the hungry because she “doesn’t want anyone to have nothing to eat.” Even 6-year-old Izayah Harrison has a dream: He wants to be a superhero, just like Spider-Man, so he can always look out for his 5-year-old brother, Kyreis. ... 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.
As America learned from Martin Luther King, dreams are powerful things. Decades later, Dr. King’s words are still powerful.
School children still memorize them. Adults are still moved by them.
And, decades later, those words are still shaping the racial landscape in places close to home. Places such as Myers Fieldhouse on the Minnesota State University campus where dozens of children of dozens of colors participated in the MLK Day Youth Sports Camp and Clinic.
“This is a great opportunity for kids of different cultures, races and ages to get together,” said Brittany Henderson, MSU track and field athlete and event volunteer. “Things used to be so segregated — especially sports. But now all these kids are competing and playing together.”
With Monday being a nonschool day in Mankato, MSU hosted a sports camp from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those in attendance had the opportunity to play games with MSU athletes and coaches — and learn a little something about American history along the way.
During snack time, as kids noshed on boxes of popcorn, Henderson recited King’s famous “I have a dream” speech. Afterward, those who could answer questions correctly about King’s life were awarded MSU track and field T-shirts. And while the message of racial and social equality is a bit heavy for most K-6 students, the fact still remains: Fifty years ago, a sports clinic with white and black children was only a dream.
“We want these kids to know what Martin Luther King Jr. Day is about,” said Brian Bell, MSU assistant football coach and event volunteer. “Dr. King created a lot of opportunities for all.
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