Homewood library celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.
Every third Monday in January, the United States celebrates the life and legacy of our nation’s greatest Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year, the Teen Advisory Board of the Homewood Public Library wanted to provide a creative outlet for local teens to express their appreciation for the teachings of King.
The Teen Advisory Board is a volunteer group of local sixth through 12th graders. Their idea was to hold a creative contest where other local sixth through 12th graders could submit artwork or a poem or story that was inspired by the messages of King. We Are The Dream: Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr will accept virtual submissions from January 1-20.
Alleah Stringer, a member of TAB and a senior at Calera High School, felt it was important to recognize King’s teaching now more than ever.
“I was inspired to do this project because Dr. King was an invaluable leader of the Civil Rights movement, and I want his legacy to always be remembered,” she said. “Given the circumstances surrounding these unexampled times that we are in, I didn’t want his birthday to be overlooked. I felt that even through all that has happened in the past several months, this project could be something to help inspire teens in our community and help us to keep looking towards the future, as King spoke about so often in his speeches.”
Alleah Stringer originally proposed the idea to the TAB, which unanimously approved of the project.
Judith Wright, the teen librarian and assistant director at the library, was thrilled with their idea.
“This is a prime example of how our Teen Advisory Board works in many ways,” she said. “With the help of TAB, the Library has been hosting monthly teen contests that showcase how creative our teens are. When TAB suggested using Dr. King as an inspiration I thought it was a brilliant way to highlight his work to a new audience.”
When asked what King means to her, Courtney Stringer, a member of TAB and a sophomore at Calera High School, responded, “Many people see his birthday in January as a day off from school and don't take the proper time to observe what that day means. He chose to dedicate his life to fighting for equality. I am truly grateful for everything that he fought for, and I think that it's important to honor him, not just on his birthday or in Black History Month, but every day that we see the results of his sacrifices.”
“From this project, I hope that teens will gain a greater understanding of who Dr. King was and what he did — not just for Black people, but for the entire country. He preached a message of unity and tolerance, which is what our world needs now, more than ever. I hope that the teens who participate will be inspired by Dr. King’s message and that they, too, will go on to be brave leaders in their communities.” responded Alleah Stringer, when asked what she hopes other teens will gain from the We Are The Dream competition.
We Are The Dream is open to sixth through 12th graders. Teens can submit up to two entries. For more information about this contest or to submit an entry, teens can visit homewoodpubliclibrary.org/we-are-the-dream.
The Teen Advisory Board is also currently accepting applications for new members. Any interested sixth through 12th grader can apply online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org/tab-application.
Submitted by Judith Wright.