Meet some of the winners of Arizona State University’s MLK Jr. Committee’s essay and poster contest, which has students reflect on the civil rights leader’s teachings.
TED: EVERY YEAR ASU MLK JR. COMMITTEE HOLDS AN ESSAY AND POSTER CONTEST TO REFLECT ON THE MLK TEACHINGS. MORE THAN 1300 STUDENTS SUBMITTED ART, ESSAYS AND POEMS FOCUSING ON THIS YEAR'S THEME, BE THE FACE OF CHANGE. WE ARE INTRODUCED TO SOME OF THE WINNERS.
KOLE ANDERSON: ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE IS GRANDPA KENNY. HE HELPS A LOT OF PEOPLE. HIS FAMILY HELPED PEOPLE CLEAN UP THEIR YARDS. SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT GRANDPA, HE HELPS PEOPLE WITH CANES.
TALEEN LEE: HE STOOD FOR BEING EQUAL WITH BLACK AND WHITES. HE KIND OF CHANGED SOCIETY. I WANT TO PUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHANGE IN THE WORLD. ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS THE FIRST TO SET THE SLAVES FREE. ROSA PARKS, SHE KIND OF BROKE THE RULES BY SITTING IN FRONT OF THE BUS. MLK HAD A SPEECH AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HE DID TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE STUFF. THE LAST PART IS WHAT YOU CAN DO.
JADYN FRAZER: HELP THOSE THAT KNOW THOSE IN NEED. MY MOTHER TEACHES ME THROUGH EXAMPLE. SHE HAS HER OWN STRUGGLES BUT FINDS THE TIME TO HELP THOSE IN NEED.
ELIZABETH WENG: THIS IS MY DAD, MY SISTER, MY MOM, THAT'S ME. THAT'S MY FRIEND PIPER AND MY OTHER FRIEND MATTIE. IT'S ABOUT VOLUNTEERS WITH FRIENDS AND YOUR TEACHER AND YOUR FAMILY AND EVERYONE YOU LIKE CAN MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE JUST LIKE WHAT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID.
KAITLIN WEED: HE PUT IN PEOPLE'S MINDS THAT BLACK PEOPLE AND WHITE PEOPLE COULD BE THE SAME. HE WAS LOOKED UP TO BY EVERYONE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. I LOOKED UP TO MY MOM. SHE WAS PRETTY MUCH -- SHE IS MY MOM, BUT SHE'S ALSO MY ROLE MODEL. A MOTHER'S OWN LOVE, THOUGH FAITHFULLY STRONG, SHE CAN GET YOU THROUGH TRIALS, HER WILLINGNESS ESCORTS ME THROUGH. WHEN I WAS SMALL, SHE WOULD COME TO MY BEDSIDE TO GUIDE ME THROUGH THE NIGHT.
BELLA MORELLO: I THOUGHT OF SERVICE AND HELPING. IN CLASS, WE WERE DOING SOMETHING WITH HELPING HANDS. I THOUGHT OF HELPING HANDS, HELPING PEOPLE. THERE IS A MAN REACHING DOWN TO GET THE PEOPLE THERE SO HE CAN TAKE THEM TO A HAPPY PLACE. HERE HE'S SAYING, COME. I'LL LEAD THEM. THEY ARE REACHING FOR HIM LIKE THAT. HE'S A LEADER RIGHT HERE.
KOLE ANDERSON: ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES IS WHEN HE SAVED A MAN FROM DROWNING. MY GRANDPA JUMPED INTO THE OCEAN TO GET HIM OUT OF THE WATER AND GAVE HIM CPR. IT SAVED HIS LIFE. I LOVE MY GRANDPA. I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE HIM. HE IS THE BEST EXAMPLE.
KAITLIN WEED: MY MOTHER IS MY ROLE MODEL SO MANY WAYS. MY MOTHER IS A LEADER TRUE AS CAN BE. THAT MAKES ME FEEL BLESSED.
JADYN FRAZER: IT ISN'T ABOUT HOW WE ADVANCE AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT HOW FAR WE LEAD OTHERS. MY MOTHER IS KIND AND IN MY MIND, SHE'S SUPER MOM.
BELLA MORELLO: I LIKE THE MESSAGE A LOT. I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN ME.
KAITLIN WEED: HE STOOD UP FOR WHAT HE BELIEVED IN. EVEN IF ANYONE THOUGHT OTHERWISE.
TALEEN LEE: I THINK WE CELEBRATE MLK BECAUSE HE BASICALLY CHANGED A LOT OF SOCIETY. WE CHANGE SOME OF IT ALSO. YOU CAN BE PART OF CHANGE IN THE WORLD.
ELIZABETH WENG: WORK TOGETHER AND HELP OUT TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING WANTED US TO DO.
TED: THE WINNERS WILL BE HONORED AT THE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BREAKFAST CELEBRATION AT ASU JANUARY 19TH.
