[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E106-E107]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

HONORING THE WINNERS OF DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS' POSTER AND ESSAY
CONTEST IN REMEMBRANCE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND ROSA PARKS

______

HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

of new jersey

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor those students from
Deptford Township schools who participated in a contest to honor Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks on January 11, 2006. The way in
which these students portrayed their thoughts on Dr. King and Ms. Parks
was touching and memorable.
During this contest, students were given the opportunity to express
their thoughts on these important historical figures by creating a
poster or writing an essay highlighting memorable events in the lives
of these two heroic Americans. The contest corresponded with the annual
celebration of Dr. King. The students whose essays and posters won are:
Scott Medes, Andrea Akins, Lauren Perry, Rachel Hajna, Jimmy Kunkle,
Sheena Williams, Sara Duffy, Zachary Kummer, Ashley Duffy, Danielle
Hogan, Ronald Grace, Danika Atkinson, Jordan Johnson, Michael Baney,
Justina Dougherty, Jared Field, Ann Mary Tullio, Nicholas Eisen,
Madelyn Elliot and Sean Clason. Their works showed exceptional thought
and creativity.
We have seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that Dr. King's
and Mrs. Parks' message of justice for all people is still as important
today as it was in the 1950's and 1960's. Although it
disproportionately affected people of color, Hurricane Katrina affected
anyone young enough, old enough or poor enough to be left behind. The
students that participated in this contest embodied Dr. King's and Mrs.
Parks' message and are truly an inspiration to all citizens of the
United States of America.
The following are five of the winning essays:

Making a World of Difference

(By Zachary Kummer, Grade 6)

As I sit in my classroom and look around, I see students of
many different races. We are all here to learn and everyone
has the same opportunity to get a good education. The teacher
treats us all the same, and we use the same books, desks,
fountains, and lavatories. All the students are together in
the same classroom without any discrimination by race or
religion. If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today,
he would see his dream fulfilled in my classroom.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister who believed in
equality for all. He thought that the Constitution of the
United States was meant for all people. His famous speech of
``I Have a Dream'' said that he dreamed of a time when people
of all races and religions would be treated the same. Dr.
King was influenced by many people. His grandfather, his
father, Abraham Lincoln, and Rosa Parks were some of these
people who had an influence on him.
Dr. King admired the courage Rosa Parks showed in her
refusal to give up her seat on a bus. He respected her non-
violent protest. Rosa Parks' action was one of the things
that led to the boycott of the buses by people of color. Dr.
King became involved in this peaceful action and showed that
there is power when people join together in a protest.
Not only has the United States changed because of Dr. King,
but the rest of the world has been influenced by his peaceful
ways to bring about change in laws to give equality to all
people. People of color in South Africa were influenced by
Dr. King and have changed the apartheid laws.
In conclusion, the influence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
and Rosa Parks has greatly changed the rights of all people,
especially minorities, from separation and discrimination to
equality in all parts of our lives.
____

Making A World of Difference

(By Andrea Akins, Grade 4)

Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks made a difference.
For example, Dr. King was born Jan. 16, 1929 in Atlanta,
Georgia. He always was thinking about solutions to solve
racial prejudice. The civil rights bill ended discrimination
of black Americans in 1964. One day Dr. King was shot and
died.
In addition, Rosa Parks was born Feb. 4, 1913 in Alabama
and was married sometime in 1932. She worked to help a lot of
black people. White people always pushed her around and she
was tired of it. One day Rosa Parks refused to give up her
seat on a segregated bus. She was arrested and put in jail. A
boycott was passed. Mr. Nixon and Dr. King got lawyers to
take Rosa's case to court. The boycott worked.
Additionally, Rosa Parks and Dr. King had a lot in common.
One thing they had in common was the bus boycott. Another
thing they had in common was segregation. Of course they both
wanted fairness.
In conclusion, Dr. King and Rosa Parks helped make a
difference. They made a difference because they both wanted
fairness. They helped blacks with problems and they made laws
right. They made a difference.
____

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks--``Making a World of
Difference''

(By Rachel Hajna)

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in
Atlanta, Georgia. His parents named him Michael at first, but
later changed it to Martin Luther, which was his father's
name. Martin had an older sister and a younger brother. Their
mother always told them how special and wonderful they were.
The King family was very religious.
Martin was best friends with a white boy, but when they
started school the friend's Dad said they couldn't play
anymore because Martin was black. The boys both cried.
Martin learned more about segregation as he got older.
There were a lot of things that the black people were not
allowed to do. They were not allowed to play on the beach or
in the parks, they were not allowed to vote, and they could
not live where they wanted. Martin knew this was unfair.
Martin graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in
1944. He was so smart that he skipped ninth and twelfth
grades. He enrolled at Morehouse College when he was 15 years
old. He also began preaching at Ebenezer Baptist Church where
his father was the pastor and he became Reverend Martin
Luther King, Jr. on February 25, 1948 when he was 19 years
old.
Martin met Coretta Scott while attending Boston University.
They were married on June 18, 1953 in Marion, Alabama. Martin
became Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1955 after receiving
his Ph.D. from Boston University.
Dr. King was one of the leaders of the Montgomery Bus
Boycott. This was a huge success. Dr. King and other black
leaders

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told the black people not to ride the buses. They did this
because they learned that a woman named Rosa Parks was
arrested and sent to jail on December 1, 1955 because she
would not give up her bus seat to a white man. On November
13, 1956 the Supreme Court ruled that it was against the law
to make black people sit at the back of the buses in
Montgomery, Alabama. Now they could sit wherever they wanted.
Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee,
Alabama. She grew up on a small farm with her brother, mother
and grandparents. In 1932 she married barber and civil rights
activist, Raymond Parks. Over the years, Rosa Parks received
many awards and honors, including the Medal of Freedom Award,
presented by President Clinton in 1996. Rosa Parks died
recently on October 25, 2005 at the age of 92.
The boycott was the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement
in America. On August 28, 1963 Dr. King led the March on
Washington. This is where he gave his ``I Have a Dream''
speech. He wanted black and white people to live together in
peace in America. In 1964 he received Time magazine's ``Man
of the Year'' award. On July 2, 1964 President Johnson
signed the Civil Rights bill into law, which meant that
the black people could go wherever they wanted.
On December 10, 1964 Dr. King received the Nobel Peace
Prize, which is one of the greatest honors any man can win.
He was only 35 years old when he won the award making him
youngest person to receive it.
On April 4, 1968 Dr. King went to Memphis, Tennessee to
lead a march to help sanitation workers. He was shot and
killed on this day. People all over the world wept. Dr. King
made a difference by making black and white people get along.
I am very glad that Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks
made a difference in our world.
____

How Martin Luther King Jr. Changed the World

(By Lauren Perry, Grade 4)

Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks changed the world
from being prejudice forever.
Little did the community of Sweet Auburn, Atlanta, Georgia
know that on the day of January 15, 1929, baby Martin Luther
King Jr. would change the world. As Martin got older,
everybody said that the last name King would suit him good.
Martin Luther King had many strong beliefs. He believed in
non-segregation. Because of the time, many Americans in the
South were separating the whites from the blacks. His other
belief was non-violence. He solved many problems non-
violently.
His parents always told him to have pride in himself. He
always believed that having pride in yourself could take you
various places. Believing everyone was equal and being free
was the one thing that he would fight for.
He argued many times for the freedom of African Americans
to go where they wanted to go and so on and so forth. But he
always protested peacefully. He protested to put a stop to
racial prejudice. He along with Rosa Parks boycotted many
things like being prejudice.
Both African Americans thought segregation and being
prejudice was injustice. Rosa Parks got arrested for, what I
think, is very unfair. She got arrested for refusing to give
up her seat to a white man.
After that incident, Martin Luther King Jr. knew something
had to be done. Martin did many speeches, marches, and
protests to bring attention to all Americans on what was
going on.
On August 28, 1963 he made the one of the most memorable
speeches in history. ``I Have a Dream'' was his speech. He
dreamed that everyone would think that everyone was
``brothers and sisters.''
After his speech, a law was formed that no one could be
prejudice or segregate. Many people's lives were changed by
King's memorable speech. But things were about to change for
him.
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was standing on a
hotel balcony talking to a friend, and suddenly . . . Boom!
Martin Luther King Jr., at the age of 54, was shot and
killed.
People all over the world were upset, but he will be
remembered.
So, because of Martin Luther King Jr.'s pride and strength,
he was shot and killed. From his strong non-violent beliefs,
no segregation or being prejudice is ruining the world today.
____

Two Amazing Leaders

(By Jimmy Kunkle, Grade 5)

Our world would be different if it weren't for two very
brave people. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks both
fought for equal rights. Rosa Parks was born in 1913, and was
very determined. She made a big difference because on
December 1, 1955, she refused to give up her seat on a bus to
a white man, and she was put in jail. This act determined
many people and one of them was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important and
determined man. He led protests, marches, boycotts and all of
his hard work won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. On
August 28, 1963, Martin made his ``I Have a Dream'' Speech.
He dreamed that all mankind would be treated equally and that
there would be no more violence. On April 4, 1968, he was
shot and killed, but we still remember him, and we will never
forget him.
So now you can see that two people can make a difference,
and they did! They did not only make a difference, but they
brought our world together. So that's how two unforgettable
people made a world of difference, by not using violence.

____________________