Evergreen students contemplate a better world

On Thursday, East Evergreen Elementary third-graders were asked to dream of what would make a better world where people were all people were equal as part of Montana Campus Compact’s “MLK Read for Peace,” event.

In East Evergreen teacher Levi Nickel’s class, third-graders took out their art supplies to draw pictures of what they thought would make the world a better place, or what they do to create fairness and equality after hearing a book read about King.

Since many students have no school on Jan. 20, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the event is a precursor to give them a better understanding of the day’s significance through age-appropriate books and activities, according to mtcompact.org. Organizing the events are AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members.

King was a minister leader in the Civil Rights Movement from December 1955 until April 4, 1968, when he was assassinated. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 14, 1964, for battling racial inequality through nonviolent resistance.

“He was trying to make the world a better place to stop racism —” third-grader Matteus Thorsen said about King “— so that not just white people are doing this thing and black people doing that thing — all people could do the same thing like getting on a bus no matter if you are black or white.”

Spread around the room in small groups, AmeriCorps VISTA members helped students brainstorm on the prompt “what is something you do to create fairness and equality.” The third-graders began drawing worlds of friends, families and communities of people getting along.

Third-grader Kiara Rossmiller drew two people, black and white, holding hands, standing beside a cat and dog and said it doesn’t matter what skin color someone has to be friends.

Jenasee Lolley decided to draw a family.

“We can make the world a better place by loving each other,” Lolley said.

Braylynne Clarke filled her page with a playground of boys and girls, both black and white.

“They’re playing together. There’s a girl’s team and a boy’s team. They’re playing on the monkey bars and sliding down the slide,” Clarke said, noting they’re sharing a happy moment together.

Some students chose to commemorate the memory of King by including him in their drawings. Jayce Hale said he drew King surrounded by people praying for him. Another student chose to portray King’s memorial tomb surrounded by people honoring him.

Spearheading the reading and drawing activity was AmeriCorps VISTA member Percival Field of Mississippi. Field said AmeriCorps VISTA works with organizations in communities around the nation to help alleviate poverty. Field is spending the year serving the Northwest Montana Veterans Stand Down and Food Pantry and the Kalispell/Evergreen area.

After visiting Nickel’s classroom, the VISTA members traveled to teacher Trista Arentz’s room. The two books Field chose for “Read for Peace” were “Happy Birthday Martin Luther King Jr.,” by Jean Marzollo and illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney, in addition to “My Dream of Martin Luther King” by Faith Ringgold.

At the conclusion of the activity, Field said he thought the third-graders were able to grasp the ideas of King’s dream of equality and freedom — not just racial equality, but some students picked up on gender equality whether they realized it or not.

“They understand that people shouldn’t be segregated by [skin] color, people should have the same opportunities. One girl was drawing an astronaut. She said ‘I want to be an astronaut; I think every girl should be an astronaut,’ that’s basically what I got from her,” Field said after talking with students about their pictures.

Field said it’s important for young generations to learn about King to continue his legacy.

“We are seeing MLK’s dream alive right now, but as a nation we could still do better to continue his legacy,” Field said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.