Lincoln High School student Elizabeth Casas (from left), 15, and Culler Middle School student Takirah Coleman, 13, hold signs as they march toward the Capitol during the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March on Monday.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Lincoln Northeast student Akeem Enriquez (from left); Lincoln High students Azcia Fleming, and Sophia Olson; and Waverly Middle School student Mallory Retzlaff, lead the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March toward the Capitol in 2018.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star file photo
Participants in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March walk toward the Capitol in 2018.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star file photo
Lincoln Northeast student Akeem Enriquez (from left), Lincoln High students Azcia Fleming and Sophia Olson, and Waverly Middle School student Mallory Retzlaff lead the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March toward the Capitol in 2018.
A group of young people who stood at the podium Monday in the state Capitol during the 23rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March told a crowd that Twitter might be replacing traditional news for some, but the headlines are disturbingly similar.
Case in point, from Lincoln High junior Sophia Olson:
Sept. 15, 1963. A racially-motivated bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, kills four young girls and makes headlines that shock a nation.
June 17, 2015. A 21-year-old white supremacist opens fire in the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, kills nine people and makes headlines that shock a nation.
Akeem Enriquez
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Akeem Enriquez, senior, Northeast: "I think (the biggest social issue today) is something broader such as trusting people and trying not to have hatred for people. I think that’s the big situation that leads into all the smaller topics we have today. ... I hope to see at least a bit of change in my lifetime where I can see people trust each other and less hatred."
Maddie Retzlaff, sophomore, Waverly High School: "In my opinion the great social justice issue is poverty. Communities and people are constantly struggling. My hope for the future is that eventually everyone will be treated equally. People being made fun of, I really hope that will stop, that people won’t be judged."
Mallory Retzlaff, eighth grade, Waverly Middle School: "I feel like there are still struggles our country deals with ... I think (the youth march) is a huge part of (helping to change that) because we’re marching down the street so people can see us ... and we’re showing that we’re trying to make things better."
Jackson Russell, seventh grade, Dawes Middle School: "(King’s message is) like a beacon of hope to all men and women. You’re taking (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) off for a legend that has helped us through rough times and made it smooth for you and for people all around the world."
Azciá Fleming, sophomore, Lincoln High School: "I feel that we definitely have taken a step back from where we were . . . I almost feel like (King) had a blueprint for America and we need to reflect on his plans and his hopes for our country in order to take that step forward again."
Makhi Fleming, freshman, Lincoln High School: "My top (social justice issue) would probably be educational opportunities/rights. At Lincoln High there’s equal opportunity for everybody but not everybody chooses to take (advantage of academically challenging programs) because they feel like they’re not smart enough or not able to go through with it because of the way community or society makes them feel about it."
Sophia Olson, junior, Lincoln High School: "I think (King’s message) is relevant because it’s a story that still rings true, of validating each other’s experiences as people and really trying to create a world where everyone is validated and everyone is seen as human and their experiences are seen as equal."
Javon Leuty, seventh grade, Goodrich Middle School: "My hope for the future is that everybody could be in the same vicinity and they don’t have to be worried about getting beat up or being criticized for how they look or what their color is and they can walk around freely knowing they can do whatever they want."
How is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message relevant today? Lincoln-area students answer
We asked some of the students who planned the 23rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March about the relevance of King’s message today, about the most pressing social justice issues and their hopes for the future. Here are some highlights:
-- Compiled by Margaret Reist
Akeem Enriquez
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Akeem Enriquez, senior, Northeast: "I think (the biggest social issue today) is something broader such as trusting people and trying not to have hatred for people. I think that’s the big situation that leads into all the smaller topics we have today. ... I hope to see at least a bit of change in my lifetime where I can see people trust each other and less hatred."
Maddie Retzlaff
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Maddie Retzlaff, sophomore, Waverly High School: "In my opinion the great social justice issue is poverty. Communities and people are constantly struggling. My hope for the future is that eventually everyone will be treated equally. People being made fun of, I really hope that will stop, that people won’t be judged."
Mallory Retzlaff
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Mallory Retzlaff, eighth grade, Waverly Middle School: "I feel like there are still struggles our country deals with ... I think (the youth march) is a huge part of (helping to change that) because we’re marching down the street so people can see us ... and we’re showing that we’re trying to make things better."
Jaden Ferguson
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Ferguson
Jackson Russell
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Jackson Russell, seventh grade, Dawes Middle School: "(King’s message is) like a beacon of hope to all men and women. You’re taking (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) off for a legend that has helped us through rough times and made it smooth for you and for people all around the world."
Azciá Fleming
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Azciá Fleming, sophomore, Lincoln High School: "I feel that we definitely have taken a step back from where we were . . . I almost feel like (King) had a blueprint for America and we need to reflect on his plans and his hopes for our country in order to take that step forward again."
Makhi Fleming
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Makhi Fleming, freshman, Lincoln High School: "My top (social justice issue) would probably be educational opportunities/rights. At Lincoln High there’s equal opportunity for everybody but not everybody chooses to take (advantage of academically challenging programs) because they feel like they’re not smart enough or not able to go through with it because of the way community or society makes them feel about it."
Sophia Olson
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Sophia Olson, junior, Lincoln High School: "I think (King’s message) is relevant because it’s a story that still rings true, of validating each other’s experiences as people and really trying to create a world where everyone is validated and everyone is seen as human and their experiences are seen as equal."
Javon Leuty
KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star
Javon Leuty, seventh grade, Goodrich Middle School: "My hope for the future is that everybody could be in the same vicinity and they don’t have to be worried about getting beat up or being criticized for how they look or what their color is and they can walk around freely knowing they can do whatever they want."
“From papers to pixels, the way news is being distributed to us is changing but the content of the news is not,†Olson said. “When you look at the Twitter threads of today and compare them to the ink and paper of the 1960s, the same issues are brewing.â€
The students compared the civil rights struggles of the 1960s to the controversies of today, touching on NFL athletes kneeling during the national anthem, police misconduct, education inequities and the #metoo movement.
Javon Leuty, a seventh-grader at Goodrich Middle School, drew applause when he explained why he marched Monday.Â
“I say to Nebraska, do you want us to stop marching? Then make justice a reality. If you want a moratorium on demonstrations, then put a moratorium on injustice,†he said. “We are tired of marching, tired of marching for something that should have been mine at birth, on April 7, 2005, it should have been mine.â€
Akeem Enriquez, a Lincoln Northeast senior, offered perspective on NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem — an act that was repeated by other athletes and criticized by President Donald Trump.
“While history is busy repeating itself these days, taking a knee and standing has long been an expressive symbol for civil rights,†he said. “The kneeling African man may be the first and most identifiable image of the 18th century abolition movement."
The gesture has long been a way to visibly define the fight for civil rights, he said.
A clip of Oprah’s speech about the #metoo movement during the Golden Globes ceremony last week opened a performance by a group of young women dressed as aviators, soldiers and suffragettes who danced in front of a screen showing hashtags such as #freedom, #equalpay, #justice and #enddiscrimination.
Both Olson and Lincoln High sophomore Azcia Fleming called out educational inequities and advocated for change.
Olson said school choice has become another form of segregation.
Schools need to be customized to tap the talents of all students, Fleming said, to allow teachers such as those who have touched her life to reach all kids.Â
“We need to work to bring the spirit out of each and every student,†she said. “That should be our task. No more Common Core. Instead, let’s reach the core of every heart and embrace every mind in every class. ... Let’s give every gift, every intelligence, every idea and every child an equal chance.â€
Jaden Ferguson, a junior at Lincoln Southwest, said tomorrow’s headlines should tell how a community stood up and spoke out to make King’s dream a reality.
“Our goal today is to inspire, educate and entertain in hopes that you will help raise headlines of inspiration, hope and change above the fold for future generations.â€
Lincoln High School student Elizabeth Casas (from left), 15, and Culler Middle School student Takirah Coleman, 13, hold signs as they march toward the Capitol during the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March on Monday.
Lincoln Northeast student Akeem Enriquez (from left); Lincoln High students Azcia Fleming, and Sophia Olson; and Waverly Middle School student Mallory Retzlaff, lead the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March toward the Capitol in 2018.
Lincoln Northeast student Akeem Enriquez (from left), Lincoln High students Azcia Fleming and Sophia Olson, and Waverly Middle School student Mallory Retzlaff lead the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March toward the Capitol in 2018.