I got to work with the principal reciting the speech, taking it home and studying it, working on it. I listened to Dr. King's recitation, his wonderful oratory, and knew I couldn't compare. To be truthful, I didn't have a complete understanding of the words at that time, even though Dr. King was already a part of our studies at such an early age. Driving home tonight, I heard on NPR a clergyman saying we need to be mindful of Dr. King's teachings, reciting in what I thought was the cadence of a black Baptist preacher, to find he was a white Catholic priest from Chicago. I think back and realize that Dr. King is probably more significant to Catholics than people think. At any rate, I learned to say them as best as I could, and sure enough, recited them on the PA system on Martin Luther King, Jr. day (mind you, this wasn't yet a holiday, and we were in school.)
That was a significant event in my life, perhaps not for the right reasons. It was my first time doing something special and unique, and the first time I was recognized for a talent that I had. Every public speaking apperance, every play, choir event, class presentation, conference presentation, committee meeting, whatever, comes from the strength and attention to "I Have a Dream" when I was 7 years old. As a white guy, I don't know if that's a realization of King's legacy, but as I got older and understood the impact of the man, the depth of his teachings (go read