Waltrina D. Kirkland-Mullins
My third graders were energized to begin developing their lyrical presentation. They came to consensus and decided to highlight school desegregation and related laws. They thought it best to divvy the lyrical narrative into several speaking parts and agreed to use body gestures to accentuate verbal expression. The entire class emphasized that presenters must recite their parts audibly, using prosody and poise. Based on group discussions and provided information provided from group, they came up with the following:
Speaker #1: During 1896, a law called Plessy versus Ferguson was passed. It was a law that said black people could not ride in the same railroad cars as whites.
All: Ooooo! Oo!
Speaker #2: That law set the tone for race segregation in America. Plessy versus Ferguson and other Jim Crow laws greatly affected African-American people in the South, but it affected other people of color across our country too!
All: Ooooo! Oo!
Speaker #3: Because of Jim Crow Laws, black people and other people of color were not allowed to ride in the same railroad cars or buses as whites. They were not allowed to use the same restrooms or other public facilities.
Speaker #4: They couldn't even attend the same schools. Hard to believe a law helped to perpetuate discrimination and race prejudice in America.
All: Ooooo! Oo!
Speaker #4: But people across cultures banded together to fight against racial injustice. They fought to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson. A Mexican-American family and others were the first to challenge school desegregation.
All: Yes! Yes!
Speaker #5: Back in 1944, Sylvia Mendez and her brothers were not allowed to go to their neighborhood school in Westminster, California. They were of Mexican/Puerto Rican ancestry; they spoke Spanish and English, and their skin was brown. The school was for whites only.
All: Mmmmmm! Mmm!
Speaker #6: Their father joined with others in their community to speak out against this injustice. Along with their skilled attorney, David Marcus, they took their case to court, and in 1947, they won!
All: Yes! Yes!
Speaker #7: Seven years later, Oliver Brown and 4 other African-Americans whose children were affected by school segregation banded together. They took their case to court to fight against separate-and-unequal schools.
All: Oooooo! Oo!
Speakers #1 and #2: An African-American attorney with a powerful voice defended Brown and others. His name was Thurgood Marshall. He argued that Plessy versus Ferguson was unfair. He argued that the decision in Mendez versus Westminster countered that law. In 1954, Thurgood Marshall, Brown, and others who joined in the court battle won their lawsuit.
Speakers #3 and 4: These are two of many triumphs in the struggle for civil rights. That is why today, we can attend integrated schools like ours, a diverse school where everyone can learn!
All: Yes! Yes!
Speaker 5: Much time has passed, and race relations have improved in our country. BUT the U.S. still has problems with racism, poverty, and inequalities in education.
Some schools and the communities around them are still segregated. Some schools in different districts are still separate and unequal.
Student 6: Plus, some students add to the problem because they are not always on their best behavior in school. They do not know or appreciate the sacrifices made by civil rights activists in the past whose courageous acts opened doors for us in education today.
All: Mmmm! Hmmm!
Speaker #7: Fortunately, many young people and adults DO appreciate those past efforts. They try to get to know people because of the content of a person's character—not because of the color of a person's skin.
Speaker #6: Like civil rights activists in the past, we believe all Americans are entitled to equal rights based on our country's Constitution. We also know that even though laws exist, they are not always fair.
Speaker #5: We know something else! Together, diverse groups of Americans can come together to challenge unjust laws. That way, tragic events like those that occurred in our country's past will not happen again.
All: Yes! Yes!
Speakers 1 and 2: Today, we say thank you to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, to Sylvia Mendez, to Oliver Brown, David Marcus, Thurgood Marshall, and to the many diverse groups of Americans who fought for equal opportunities in education and more. Together, they helped make celebration of diversity and inclusion possible."
All: We gather here today because we want EVERYONE to know that efforts of past civil rights leaders were not in vain, and that WE take our education seriously.
Speaker #1: And who knows! Maybe one day, we too can make a positive difference for all people in our country just like them!
Because we began working on this effort during the third quarter of school, my third graders and I were unable to showcase it during this school year. Nevertheless, we agree that we are off to a terrific and will continue crafting this effort for next year's Dr. King Assembly. The children also recommend that we conclude the presentation with a group song entitled "Tomorrow." The tune (on Quincy Jones' "Back on the Block" album, downloadable in MP3 form via Amazon.com) is one I had taught them at the start of the school year. It begins: "I hope tomorrow will bring a better you, a better me; you know that we'll show this world that we've got more that we can be…" Somehow, I rest assured that these children will one day make their mark in the world and do us proud.
