EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
By Kenny Baraka & Miriam Nash
architectsofourrepublic.co.uk
“And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil
war and segregation and emerged from that dark
chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help
but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass;
that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the
world grows smaller, our common humanity shall
reveal itself; and that America must play its role in
ushering in a new era of peace.”
Barak Obama, Inaugural Speech 2009
4
THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES
Intro
Martin Luther King, Jr. was neither the first nor the last activist to work tirelessly for human
rights. The plight of the black and poor communities in the U.S. during his life were neither
the sole nor final infringement of these rights. In order to truly understand and continue
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream it is important for us to assess the social and political
conditions of the myriad communities across the diaspora.
Key Questions
-How far have we come in the last 50 years towards realising
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream?
-Discuss whether your communities or any groups/peoples/nations locally,
or abroad, are still struggling to ‘realise a dream’. Who are they?
What is it they dream of? Who issued the cheque ‘marked insufficient funds’?
Architects of our Republic
is produced by Apples and
Snakes, England’s leading
organisation for spoken word
and performance poetry.
applesandsnakes.org
Charity
number 294030
Activity
-Write a list of things in society that you feel are unjust or unfair, or instances when
you or others have witnessed/experienced unfair treatment or discrimination because
of who you/they are
- Choose one thing from your list
-Write a letter to Martin Luther King, Jr. about this issue or experience,
from your own perspective
OR
-Go back to your letter from lesson one. Write a letter back to that person about how times
have changed/stayed the same
- Once again, feel free to make your letter into a poem (see Lesson 1)
continued overleaf
Architects of Our Republic Educational Resources
4. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES continued
Links
50 Years Since the Speech in 10 Charts Link
Jay- Z interview on the Treyvon Martin case (there is one curse in the interview) Link
The Stand Your Ground laws in the U.S. Link
The London Riots 2011 Link
Architects of our Republic
is produced by Apples and
Snakes, England’s leading
organisation for spoken word
and performance poetry.
applesandsnakes.org
Charity
number 294030
Architects of Our Republic Educational Resources