Martin Luther King Jr. left the famous march from Selma to Montgomery to come to Cleveland. Why? To encourage voter registration as a way for black people to let their voices be heard.
Class Discussion Questions:
1) Create a poster encouraging members of your community to vote.
2) Why do you think Martin Luther King felt that voting would help the residents of Cleveland to improve their city?
3) Why is voting considered a powerful tool?
Just a heads-up! In the video there are two historical clips of Martin Luther King Jr. where he is using the n-word.
But don't worry! King is not using it to cause harm to anyone. The term was commonly used at the time of the Civil Rights Movement as a descriptor for African Americans.
It's important to note that language evolves, and societal norms change over time, and people now generally prefer terms like "Black" or "African American."
Read the Script:
Martin Luther King, Jr., is known for leading the civil rights movement. When people hear his name, they likely think of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama that followed Rosa Parks refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. Or they think of King at the March on Washington in 1963, where he gave that most famous speech.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
Or they think of him marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 to fight for African-Americans to be treated fairly when they go to vote. But we here in Ohio remember King for something closer to home. In the spring of 1965, he left that march to come to Cleveland. Newspapers even said he came with blisters on his feet from the walk. King made Cleveland a focal point for fighting against poverty and discrimination.
Something is wrong with Cleveland and something is wrong with all of our cities, and you know what is wrong. The thing that is wrong is that Negroes are not treated right.
African-Americans were living in overcrowded conditions in neighborhoods like Hough. They didn't have access to good jobs and were facing mistreatment from police. So, how could the African-Americans of Cleveland overcome these obstacles? King's push was for voting to be part of the solution. At the time, Carl Stokes was running for mayor and there had never been an African-American mayor elected as the head of a major American city. King saw this as an opportunity.
We want every Negro in the city of Cleveland of voting age to be registered.
In 1967, King went through the black community urging people to register to vote. He gave speeches across the city explaining the importance of using the polls as a platform for having their voices be heard. King's presence in Cleveland helped to ignite African-Americans to turn to the polls, while, in 1967, Stokes was successfully elected as the first African-American mayor of a major American city. He was able to give real voice to the black community. The lesson we take away is one that is still relevant today. Not only are all people equal, but voting is one of our most powerful tools to let that be heard.
Learn a little more...with a link!
Website Article: National Geographic for Kids, Martin Luther King, Jr. | Learn more about Dr. King
Video: PBS LearningMedia, All About the Holidays, Martin Luther King Day | Why do we have a holiday celebrating Dr. King?
Website Article: Library of Congress, Civil Rights History Project, Youth in the Civil Rights Movement | These kids fought for civil rights for all, too.