Sixty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a book titled, Why We Can’t Wait.
The book’s content remains deeply relevant.
Dr. King’s message in Why We Can’t Wait was a decisive call to action against racial segregation and discrimination. It was also a clarion call for America to live up to its foundational ideals in the relentless pursuit of a more perfect nation.
America has evolved in demonstrable ways since Dr. King was taken from us in 1968. However, much more remains to be done. Dr. King’s commitment to fundamental social change and non-negotiable demand for Equity & Inclusion continues to define the challenges that confront us.
Dr. King understood well that the education of our children best provides the path forward and the necessary tools to forging a just, fair, and prosperous society. He said as much when he visited three Cleveland Public Schools on April 26, 1967.
“[…] We must set out to achieve excellence in our various fields of endeavor. We’ve got to study hard; we’ve got to stay in school. Again, I know the social problems that cause many Negroes to drop out of school, but I urge you today to develop that rugged determination: stay in school, stick with it to the end.”
Dr. King also presciently amplified one of CMSD’s recently articulated Core Values of Student & Community Focused when he used his Cleveland visit to encourage students to become politically engaged:
“Enough of our parents don’t register and vote. Each of you should serve as a committee of one to work with your parents if they have not registered to vote and other people in the community.”
On the 95th anniversary of his birth, CMSD celebrates Dr. King for the beacon of light he continues to provide in our core pursuit of Excellence & Achievement. I invite you to listen to and enjoy a recording of the brilliant speech that Dr. King delivered during his visit to Glenville High School in April 1967.
http://tinyurl.com/3rp6fsur
Dr. Warren G. Morgan