Although he died 24 years before she was born, a wide-eyed eight-year-old says she believes she can uphold Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s goals of racial equality and peace.

Surrounded by her friends, Sharmayne Porter, a Carbondale resident and member of the Greater Gillespie Temple Church of God in Christ, said she learned that King was a man who stood for peace among all ethnic races. Even though she is only eight, Sharmayne said she promises to live by his teachings.

You should always be nice to everyone, she said. That’s what Martin Luther King wanted. It’s not very hard to do something good every day.

Advertisement

As part of the third annual Children of the Dream, Sharmayne, along with several other children from Carbondale, Murphysboro and East St. Louis, gave various talent performances Saturday night at the Greater Gillespie Temple, 810 N. Wall.

Children displayed various talents including singing, presenting dramatic readings and playing musical instruments. The program commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and was sponsored by the Carbondale National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Sharmayne performed in both the Gillespie Christ drill team and a double Dutch team.

The drill team consisted of 14 children reciting scriptures to synchronized marching and choreography.

The children looked timid, but their performances grew stronger with the continuos cheers from the crowd. When each presentation ended, the audience stood up and clapped.

As the performance choir from Lincoln Middle School sang, I’m On Your Side, the audience began to sing out and clap along with the group. The movements from both the audience and the choir made the Greater Gillespie Temple’s floor jump.

The faces of all the children beamed with pride at the end of their performance.

Advertisement*

Helen Porter, coordinator and NAACP representative, said the annual event recaptures King’s dream of unity and commemorates his legacy. She said adults have the responsibility of passing down his legacy to the youth.

Dr. King’s dream needs to be kept alive, she said. Many of the youth were not brought up in the era he was alive. His ideals are not foremost in their minds like us (adults). We don’t want them to forget the challenges they (children) face and what he stood for.

Caroline Nole, a SIUC senior in business education from Chicago who works with the youth of the Greater Gillespie Temple, said as a young woman, she feels she serves as a role model to the children.

I present myself as a young lady, so I set an example, she said. I hope they see me as upholding strong ideals. It’s important for children to know the value of life.

Lisa Porter, Sharmayne’s mother, said King’s dream of unity and peace affects her daughter every day because Sharmayne’s parents are from different ethnic backgrounds. Porter said she wants her daughter to remember King’s hopes about different races living together.

I want her to know that she is not different from anyone, she said. We all come from the same blood; that’s what Martin Luther King said. His dream was for black and white children to play together. Children should not be concerned with the color of their skins.