Mr.+Bunner

=**Mr. Bunner's Classes - Please feel free to contact me at bunner@prexie.us or by phone: 724-223-5080**=

=__ Advanced Placement/CHS College Dual Enrollment United States History 2016/2017 (alternates with CHS AP Euro History) __= ===Black History and U.S. History cannot be separated because they are one in the same and should be studied as one throughout the year; however, we understand the need to focus on Black History during the month of February to account for the centuries of our country's history when the contributions of some groups of Americans were obscured or ignored. During this particular month we find ourselves covering the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction periods of U.S. History. The following is one lesson we are using at present, which involves the South's defense of slavery and Frederick Douglass' involvement in the American Abolitionist Movement.===



The following lesson is an example of the type of instruction used throughout the year. This lesson involves the Harlem Renaissance and Langston Hughes.


=__ Advanced Placement/CHS Dual Enrollment European History - 2017/2018 __= ===**We will be addressing the history and contributions of Africans in European History and the connections to American History. One man's story exemplifies the resilience, courage, and determination that are so highly valued by historians and society.** **That man was** **Olaudah Equiano.**=== ===**Captured far from the African coast when he was a boy of 11, Olaudah Equiano was sold into slavery, eventually brought to America, later acquired his freedom, returned to Europe, and, in 1789, wrote his widely-read autobiography, //The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African//. We will use Equiano's book as a primary resource for the negative side of Europe's involvement in Africa and the New World. Student will write reflective and document-based essays on this topic based on various primary resources.**===



=** Link to PBS site regarding the life of Olaudah Equiano: Click here - Olaudah Equiano - PBS **=

=**Olaudah Equiano, The African -click here for interesting video**= media type="youtube" key="HZk41mzDGNc" width="504" height="283" =The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equian (FULL audiobook)= =media type="youtube" key="KPSfH0ztaBs" width="504" height="283"=

__**LINKS TO INFORMATION REGARDING BLACK HISTORY IN EUROPE (click on each link below):**__
Black History in Europe

Black History in Europe II

Black History Month in Europe

Black History: Black Nobility in Europe

Black History Month in Europe Continues

Black Knights in Europe

The Black Presence in Pre-20th Century Europe: A Hidden History


 * Samples of student submissions: **
 * Mark Frazee **
 * Washington High School, Grade 12 **
 * Mr. Jeff Bunner-Social Studies Department (bunnerj@prexie.org) **

An Introduction to Pittsburgh Abolitionism During Black History Month, many are likely to remember names of famous African Americans, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Harriet Tubman. While these individuals were undoubtedly two of the most influential people in history, it may be easy to forget that many other names have played a prominent role in black history and the abolitionist movement, even close to home. For most, it would likely be difficult to name any important people of the hometown abolitionist movement. Such would do a great disservice to these remarkable people, and familiarity with them will allow for a greater appreciation of the Pittsburgh abolitionist movement.

For even the most elementary understanding of Pittsburgh abolitionism, the name John B. Vashon must become familiar. At a young age, Vashon served in the military in the War of 1812. Later, he became wealthy by founding the first bathhouse in Pittsburgh, using it as a hiding place for escaped slaves. He hosted the first meeting of a notable anti-slave society and frequently worked to advance the welfare of Pittsburgh African Americans, including their education via the Pittsburgh African Education Society. Vashon co-founded this society alongside another notable name in abolitionism, Reverend Lewis Woodson. Woodson was a leader in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. He also advocated separate black institutions with an emphasis on preparation for emancipation, and notably never advocated a return of slaves to Africa nor slave uprisings. He led abolitionist conferences across the area and was instrumental in the founding of Wilberforce University to provide postsecondary education for African Americans. One other notable name of the Pittsburgh abolitionist movement was Martin Delany, another member of the African Education Society. Delany would advance to become Pittsburgh’s first black medical doctor and was a prominent voice in abolitionist newspapers. Angered by his expulsion from medical school due to race, he argued for the separation of blacks to form their own societies, perhaps even back in Africa. Delany later would go on to become the only African American to receive the rank of “major” during the Civil War, and he remained a prominent figure in abolitionism through the Reconstruction Era.

While there is much more to say of Pittsburgh abolitionism, the lives of Vashon, Woodson, and Delany show that abolitionism was a nation-wide movement that involved struggle and humility from many remarkable voices.

A Bit of the Local Abolitionist Movement When you learn about the abolitionist movement, you don’t think about the influence it had on your home. In Pittsburgh, this included many people and places that contributed locally to the national cause. The Pittsburgh-area actually had a large contribution toward abolition due to its placement on the Underground Railroad.
 * Toni Maurer **
 * Grade 12, Washington (Senior) High School **
 * Mr. Jeff Bunner, bunnerj@prexie.org **

President-elect Abraham Lincoln visited the Monongahela House on February 14, 1861 as part of his bicentennial exhibition, during which he would later enact the Emancipation Proclamation, and inauguration. The Monongahela House was built where present-day Fort Pitt Boulevard is, and was rebuilt in 1845 due to the Great Fire only five years into its existence. Two years after the fire, the hotel known as the greatest west of New York was rebuilt and actually became a safe house of the Underground Railroad.

By 1849, Mary Peck Bond was caring for slaves on the Underground Railroad in communities like the Lemoyne House. The Lemoyne House resides in my hometown, Washington, Pennsylvania, on East Maiden Street, and is believed to being the state’s first National Historic Landmark for the Underground Railroad. The slave community Bond cared for is now embraced by the Lemoyne Center in cooperation with the Academy for Adolescent Health with Joyce Ellis and an annual Black History Month essay contest to embrace black history 365 days a year.

Another abolitionist who aided the Underground Railroad was Charles Avery. Avery’s background in the drug industry led him to the cotton-producing slavery in the South, causing him to fight against the Fugitive Slave Laws and fund American slaves who returned to Liberia. By his death on January 17, 1858, his fortune had gone into black education and religion between Avery College and Oberlin College.

<span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Today, about twenty six percent of the population in the Pittsburgh area is considered black. Living in Washington, I knew that my hometown was involved in the abolition, and later, freedom, of the slaves, but I never knew until doing some research what kind of influence this area had. While not exactly in Washington, Mary Peck Bond inspired communities to care for the slaves along the Underground Railroad. The Monongahela House was along the Underground Railroad as a safe refuge for the slaves as they continued their northbound journey. Charles Avery built Avery College in Pittsburgh in order to increase and improve the education of black students in the mid 1800s.

=__ College in High School - CHS Sociology __= ===Among the many issues we will address is the economic and educational disparity of many groups in the United States, including those separated by race and ethnicity. Individual and group projects regarding Martin Luther King, Jr. (held a college degree in Sociology) titled "An American Dream" will involve the hope and promise of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech and how those dreams have played out to present times. Examples of student work will be displayed.===

**1. The class will watch a video of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech in it's entirety, with a hard copy of the speech to review while watching the delivery.**
=== **2. We will combine Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and his final speech from Memphis on April 3, 1968, the day before he was murdered, with an analysis and evaluation of poems by Langston Hughes in relation to MLK's and other individual dreams and "deferred dreams":** ===

__ For script of these poems click document below: __
= = == Directed and reflective discussions regarding individual dreams, dream variations, and deferred dreams for all people will point to sociological problems and conflict caused by dreams that are deferred by social injustice. ==

** 3. Group and individual projects will follow (Activities & Rubrics Document below): **

Click here - "I Have A Dream" Speech Copy & Videos
media type="youtube" key="smEqnnklfYs" width="339" height="280"

**Click here - "I Have Been To The Mountaintop" Speech - Printed Speech & Videos**
media type="youtube" key="Oehry1JC9Rk" width="425" height="350"

=MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. - LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL - LETTER COPY - CLICK HERE=

=__LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL - DRAMATIZED VIDEO READING__= media type="youtube" key="s5Y-64GJT8E" width="448" height="251"

__** WORLD HISTORY **__ = Documentary - Video Analysis & Evaluation = After responding individually the students collaborated, edited, and combined answers for the **Best of MLK Responses** by class period.



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 * Martin Luther King, Jr. - Much More Than Just A Day **


 * Washington High School - Washington, PA 15301 **
 * World History - Mr. Bunner - Period 6 **

=__ BEYOND THE FACTS __=

1.What we have discovered about Dr. King beyond the facts was that he was an intelligent man who cared about his fellow citizens and the world around him. He never judged anyone by the color of their skin or their appearance. He didn’t necessarily hate anybody, but more so did not agree with the actions that particular person did. He cared deeply about his children and his wife and would do anything and everything for them. He was a selfless person who always put others before himself. Throughout the film on Dr. King we saw more than just the facts about him, we saw who he really was. We have learned that Martin Luther King Jr. was not perfect, much of what he did was to help everybody else, but there was a time when he was selfish. Martin Luther got caught having an affair with a woman in a hotel room. The police had sent recordings of him speaking to another woman to his wife. We saw insights into his personal life with his kids, inner circle, and wife. We saw that King never gave up although he had so much hate against him, like when he got stabbed with a letter opener. That fact about King is well known, but what most people don’t know is that the scar that the letter opener left looked like a cross on his chest. The scar made him believe that God was with him through his struggle. The documentary let us see into Kings life to make him more of a real person. By that I mean that King was seen as almost untouchable but as those recordings were released and more people found out of his affair I think it made King more relatable. We all make mistakes and we all sin, King was not a higher power, he was just like any of us. We learned that King would go long times without smiling or laughing when the times were very stressful and that his partners and family were often afraid for Kings life. After the bombing at the 16th street Baptist church King developed a twitch and went into what seemed like a depression. King persevered through all obstacles to bring peace and equality to the people he fought for. He never hesitated to go out to different states to help people and always wanted to make a difference. Always wanted to get the message across to as many people as possible.

2.) Dr. King represents a leader who made change and knew what he was standing for and did it in the correct way. He represents the kinds of people we need running this country and trying to help making this country better. He represents the love in the world and how we shouldn’t use violence to deal with our issues right now. Dr. King also represented non-violence, and he actually lived by it. He dedicated his life to what he believed people deserved. He wanted all of us to get freedom, but in the right way. He always said “hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”. Dr. King represents how peace and love can overcome the toughest of obstacles. He represented more than just his people, he represented all people. He didn't just want equality for his own group, but for all groups. Dr.King represents a dream of a nation united. He risked his own life to end racism. The “I Have A Dream” speech was a defining moment of the civil rights movement. He was an advocate for peace and human rights using nonviolent protest. Dr. King represents equality, peace and justice. He fought for the African American race to be considered equal with all people and races as God intended. King believed that he was delivering God’s will. Dr. King wanted for everyone to be treated the same. He wanted to end violence against colored people without using violence to do so. Lastly, Dr. King represented change. Not just any change through, peaceful change. He shows that if you set your mind to something, with enough dedication and time it can be accomplished.

3.) Dr. King had multiple enduring messages, that has left a big impact. One was of acceptance and change. Another was that he had a dream of equality, a dream to fight not only for civil rights for african americans, but for social justice for all. He believed every human being deserved proper treatment, regardless of difference. You shouldn’t judge people based on their race or income, you should love one another. He also taught that you need to appropriately approach change. You shouldn’t force change, you should only encourage it. He was always the type of person who would live by what he taught, including the things listed above. Dr. King said “The time is always right, to do what’s right” and that is exactly what he did. He had a goal to spread that message, the message to fight for everyone and give them the change they needed and the confidence to get up and fight for themselves. A lot of people who believed in his message still use it to this day.

4.)Dr. Kings message fits well with all of our philosophy in change. Listed below are all of our classmates answers of how his message fits their philosophy. We all have unique answers.

Dr. Kings message fits well with my philosophy in the sense of nonviolence as well as his beliefs. My philosophy of change is that we can change the world in a peaceful manner and that is what Dr. King tried to do. His beliefs inspire me to change the world like he did. Kings message reinforces my belief in peace. Peace is the only conceivable way in my mind that a change can be made.” We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”(Martin Luther King, Jr.) This quote shows exactly how King felt and resembles my personal feelings. Violence will only accelerate the process of destruction of our society's, values, and ways of life. But peace can bring about new ages full of rich, cooperative plans to improve life for all. The change that King was trying to bring about was much needed then and even more so now in some areas such as education, poverty, and discrimination by officials.

Dr. King’s message is an inspiration to my philosophy and ways I live. I want to encourage change, and help create acceptance where it’s needed. Dr. King shared his beliefs in a way people never thought possible, which I adored. He showed us that hate only does create hate, and we need to do something if we actually want change. He covers topics that still need covered today, some still not completely faced.

His message fits into the philosophy on change because by doing what he is talking about in his message he changed so many situations that needed changed. Even though there are people who don’t want the change and will hate you for wanting to make that change, to keep loving them and don’t fight back with violence. By doing this Dr. King changed how the world was viewed all around. Not just viewed, but actions were made to make the change they wanted to make. I also believe that this type of philosophy on change is appropriate and should still be here today because love wins over hate and I think we could have accomplished a lot more in the world if everyone stuck by that philosophy.

King’s philosophy fits with my philosophy of change because if something or someone is going to change, they might as well change as a whole instead changing half way. I believe that to change something the right way you have to do a full 360, not just a 180.

Kings message fits into my philosophy of change because he uses no violence, and without violence you are able to make valid points, and also he fought and never gave up, which gives me confidence to do the same thing, fight for what I believe in and never give up on my people.

His message fits my philosophy of change. I should always spread love in my path and always stand up for the truth. To treat all human beings, regardless of color, sex, or social status , have value and deserve dignity and respect.

His message fits in my philosophy of change because whenever it comes to race. MLK’s views on race and violence are similar to mine as well. Just like him, I also believed that everyone is equal and no one should be judged. I also want to be able to change the world as well and be selfless like him.

5. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">) King was a catalyst for change and in our opinion we need someone like him now more than ever. We need his methods to help solve problems such as racism, poverty, violence and overall inequality t hat still exist all over this country and all over the world. It is a shame that Dr.King’s ways have been forgotten. After the recent presidential election many people feel that even the leader of our great country has forgotten the peaceful ways of Martin Luther King. The way he speaks with foreign countries is careless, talking of nuclear war like it’s some sort of game or joke. If he is supposed to be the representative for us all then how does that portray our society? With a figure like King he could bring the people together to stand against the violence and discrimination alike. King would never give up his vision for a peaceful America.

=__ WHAT IF? __= 1.)What if… (Past Situation)

What if... the Black Power movement merged with Dr. King’s to form a peaceful yet aggressively outspoken group? The Black Power movement acted very hastily and aggressively. This contrasts the actions of Dr.King, who took very thought out routes and acted peacefully. If these two powers could have joined together and acted peacefully, we believe they could have created a powerful movement that could accomplish more than the two groups separately. The numbers would have increased greatly and allowed peaceful protests to take place in more places especially in the north. Together the peaceful protesters could spread their words through the outspoken members of the Black Power movement.

What if... Dr. King was here during the time Christopher Columbus first came over to America. He could have made a way for everyone to get their own land, instead of them taking over he could have found a way for them to get along and show them we are all the same. If King was there he could have showed them what equality was and that there were no superiors. If that could happen maybe we could have maybe erased racism and there would have been more love.

What if… King was there during the Oklahoma city bombing. It was a terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah federal Building in 1995. The attack killed 168 people and injured more than 680 others. Perpetrated by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. In 2001 McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001, and Nicholas sentenced to life in prison. If he was there then his philosophy and teaching would have possibly made no difference. Because the hack was motivated by his dislike of US government and angry about the handling of Waco Siege.

What if... Dr. King didn’t die young and continued spreading equality. Even though equality was a major issue back then, it’s still an issue today. MLK’s methods and views on the topic helped other people see race differently, and helped to make blacks equal because they are as much human as whites are. The majority of his speech was about equality and his views on that and racism. His methods were used majorly whenever he was alive, so he did his best to make a change within the world.

2.) What if... today there was no color? Race was established by humans thousands of years ago, what if today we completely stopped focusing on color, something we see. If color was no longer a social construct then the world would look completely different. A place where the color of one's skin did not lead to street wars, mass protests, and killings. If the idea of race disappeared then we could focus on other pressing matters. We could focus on the discrimination of other parties such as women, homosexuals, and those of other religions. But then this leads to another question, what if there was no discrimination? Would there be peace on earth for all days to come? Of course, there will always be discrimination, people always find something to judge each other on. If not the color of their skin, then it will be the color of their hair or eyes, or even the pitch of their voice.

What if.. Martin Luther King was around to end negative controversies on topics such as gay rights? Dr. King could help spread awareness to everyone to treat others equally despite their sexuality.

What if... we used Dr. King’s methods for education. Just like equality, we could argue that not all schools have the same opportunities as others. If we applied his methods we could teach others that we all deserve the same opportunities. Someone shouldn’t get a better education because their family has a higher income and they attend a more affluent school district that has a larger/higher tax base. What’s fair and equal about that type of education by income. I thought education was the great equalizer. An individual may not do well in school because they can’t afford the necessary supplies which is unfair. For example, a student in Baltimore could be the person to find the cure for cancer but they will not have that opportunity, because our government’s school system won’t apply the proper funding per student versus property tax. With Dr. King’s methods we could tell everyone how unfair it is to the less fortunate and that we should all join together and help them. We should all come together as equals.

Charlottesville, Virginia was the location of the rally held by White nationalists and supremacists who marched in a torchlit procession through the town while chanting “white lives matter, you will not replace us, and Jews will not replace us”. It was a day of hate, violence and death. When it was over people wondered “how could this have happened?”. When the white supremacists went toward counter protesters with shields and long wooden clubs, the counter protesters formed a line blocking their path. The nationalists charged with chemicals, sticks, also while swinging punches. What if.. Dr. King was involved with the counter protesters? I believe things would have been better. Dr. King was against physical violence. He would have come up with other nonviolence ways to handle the Charlottesville rally.

3.) As you can see, we have a future with a lot of potential wars, and most of us don’t agree with that. Dr. King could be our voice, and he can show us the process of being patient as most of us really don’t understand the true meaning of patience, but at the same time having Dr.King brought back to life would probably be catastrophic to his mental health with the overload of new history and discrimination in the world. I believe that the best option is to not look for a way to get Martin Luther King back, but for someone or a lot of people to become like him. Not the same man that once lived then but a modern version that spoke out for all colors, sexes, and religions.To help with the race against race situations there is an activist movement called “Black Lives Matter” that campaigns against violence and systemic racism. What if someone like Dr.King was involved, and his or her methods were used. I feel things would be better. Dr. King laid the blueprint for peace and human rights using nonviolent protest, so someone like him could continue to use that blueprint. Poverty is also still an issue in the future. A lot of people are still in deep poverty today. 40 million people in USA to be exact. I do think MLK’s methods would be very useful. I think his methods would help us or other people in the end.


 * Martin Luther King, Jr. - A Living Philosophy **


 * Washington High School - Washington, PA 15301 **
 * World History - Mr. Bunner - Period 3 **

__** BEYOND THE FACTS **__ 1. While watching the documentary and learning about the things Dr.King went through in his life it shows that he wasno different than the average person. The facts we learn about him are that he did amazing things and he was an amazing person, which he was. Dr. King did amazing things for the African American people and this country as a whole, but what we forget or don't understand is that he made a movement and he’s just a man. Dr. King never held himself higher than the people he was helping, he cried, he screamed, and bled just like me and you. That’s what makes his actions even more breathtaking is that he was just an everyday man who decided to make a change in the world. You never learn about the mistakes Dr. King made or the stress he went through, the only facts you hear are the accomplishments he made. We forget to mention that Dr. King was a single flame, he was born and lived his life the same as the rest of us, except Dr. King decided to use his flame and make an explosion. Because of his courage it opened up so many windows for young men and women who think their voices can not be heard. I think that we learned a lot about the more human side of Dr.King in this documentary. We learned about things he did despite being advised not to just because he felt he needed to, like with the people he was helping to represent before he was assassinated. Also we learned that he has made mistakes just like any other person. I think it's good to know that these famous leaders and people make mistakes, because it shows that they are human. When they are often painted to seem like they are perfect. I also learned that he was a very approachable person. The people they interviewed in the documentary often said that he was very approachable and would listen to what everyone had to say.His real name was Michael King, as was his father’s, but after a trip in Germany, his father, fascinated from the figure of Martin Luther he decided to change his name in Martin Luther King.

2. I think Dr. MLK represents peace, love and acceptance because he wanted everyone to treat everybody equal and to just love not to hate each other. He wanted to make everyone feel like they are accepted everywhere they go. What Dr. King represents to me is hope for generation where blacks and whites and all other colors can go to school and both get equal education and rights. To me King represents many ideas. The main ones that I found from this video were Freedom and equality. He stood up for himself and his family and thousands of other families living in poverty and outcasted because the color of their skin. He wanted every man and women to be equal no matter their skin color or where they lived. He wanted everyone to have the same opportunities in life. And to me this is equality and one of the main ideas King represented.I think MLK represents a lot of things like freedom, equality, civil rights, kindness, patience, etcetera. I think that he also represents peace and rebellion or at least resisting an idea that you wish to change.

3. There were many messages that stuck with people some good and sadly some bad, by some bad, I mean he fought for peace and what he was fighting for was something good but many people twisted his words and the desegregation movement in itself to be something they believed as bad. But one of the things that jumped out to me alot was the message that Dr. King was just another man, he opened so many eyes of young children who thought they could never do what he did. Out of all of his messages i think the one that may stick the longest with the younger generation is that he made mistakes and he wasn't perfect, he was human, just like us and he put his mind to something and caused a movement. It gives young people a power that we can also change something that is wrong if we put our mind and determination to it.

4. These are the different philosophy from all of us students: none of them is wrong and none of them is right but we all have this huge gift that nobody can take from us: a thinking mind. So for this question we decided to paste each philosophy from each of us because as Dr King taught us: everybody is special. In my philosophy people have too divided us too much, used to make us hate each other.

Race being one of those things, which MLK worked to fix. Hate is bad because it caused violence, once everyone can stop hating each other and come together the world would be much better. This was also something that MLK was big on, eliminating hate, eliminating darkness, generating light and love. :)

Dr.King changed my philosophy because now I know I have to make priorities of the values I believe and fight for them using my strength, my knowledge. He also changed me pushing me to see things in different ways, different prospective. Be empathic is another quality I earned from him: it’s only with empathy that you can see people what they’re going through. I think I’m not a racist person so I don’t judge or think that different people, that could be white, black, jewish, asiatic aren’t as special as me, as anyone else.Also to thank him when I see all cracks in the wall of my life and in the wall of the social life, I can see the light through them and I can start from those to make better my life and the life of the world I live in.

I honestly believe that my philosophy and Dr. King’s philosophy go hand in hand. I believe the only way to strongly get your point across is to not approach the situation with disrespect and violence but with organized protest and thinking about every action and its consequences.

In my philosophy people have to much dividing us, used to make use hate each other. Race being one of those things, which MLK worked to fix. Hate is bad it caused violence, once everyone can stop hating each other and come together the world would be much better.

His message fits into my philosophy of change because in life we are always going to need change in our lives because there will always be different people and we have to accept them and seek peaceful ends by peaceful means.

5. I strongly believe that we need Dr. King or someone like him today, i believe that we as not only a black community but as a mixed race community need his determination to further as a nation. I think that we lost sight of everything Dr. King and many others fought for, we take for granted somethings they were beaten for doing. We as a nation need a leader who can help us finish what Dr. King started, he fought for equality throughout everyone and we do not at all have equality. I believe we need someone to lead us into bettering this nation, not only for blacks or people of color but for woman and black/hispanic woman, and many others. We need to come together and continue the movement Dr. King was not able to finish.

I think that nowadays we need for sure Martin Luther King because there still are the social problems he was fighting for. Although I really think that inside all of us there is a tiny Dr.King because everybody wants to realize their dream and feel free to be themselves. So I do think we need him because he represents an huge column for the battle against violence, racism and all the values he fought on but I think that he will not be the only one who’ll make a move and fight until his death.

But also I believe that we need some of his character and of his courage to help change the world into a more positive vibe. Racial tension isn’t as high as it was when Dr.King was alive but it is still present in many forms and is still high. There is no reason for having problems in today's day of age dealing with race. I can’t see why it is hard to respect each other and to live each other. We need Dr.King to remind us that together we can accomplish more and that if we are seperated we accomplish far less. When asked if we need Dr.King today my answer would be a confident yes. We need him because we are becoming more and more divided each and every day.

=__ WHAT IF? __= =** 1. What if Dr.king was there for the creation of the constitution. If he was there whenever they said that everybody was created equal but yet they only had the rich white males there to sign. Dr.King wouldn’t approve with the things said at the time because most of the things said were lies regarding the freedom of all people. It was claimed that all men were created equal but it doesn’t say all men and women. Even if it said all men and women, many of the people in the room owned slaves. Dr.King would of stood for the women, poor and enslaved parts of the new nation being formed and would of brought up that if everyone is created equal and why isn’t everyone being treated as such. If Dr.king was there than things today would be much different. Just think of what we could have averted. **=

=** 2. What if Dr.king was here for this North Korean conflict that's happening between the United States. What if Dr.King could sit down with both Trump and Kim Jong-Un and got them to talk to each other like adults. I feel that Dr.King would make a great effort in sitting these two down in order to talk. He would talk about being together would make both countries strong rather than being separated. He would talk about how we could accomplish more together and make new discoveries. He would talk about making the world a better place to live in. Not only making the world a more peaceful place but I think poverty numbers would also go down. King would stand up for these people living in poverty and try to give them the necessary things to live, especially educational and economic opportunity that is lacking.. Not having them just get by on the bare minimums. He would also try to get all students equal opportunity through schools that provide equal education for Americans, not better education for some and terrible education systems in poor areas. There is many other issues today like drugs and violence. But I think these issues are tied into each other. I think violence is mainly the result of drugs. If King was here today I think violence and drugs would decrease some but would still be a huge issue. Drugs and violence has continued to rise at great numbers and at this point I'm not sure if King would have been able to make a huge impact of this issue.He was a very powerful and impactful man, but at this point I don't think we will be able to get this under control for a long time. **= = = =** 3. What if Dr.King is there for the next presidential election. He would want to support a candidate that stood for all people as much as he did. He would want someone that he feels would continue to bring peace to everyone in the nation and everyone worldwide. He would encourage all of us to vote because not everyone gets the same opportunity. Dr.King would want a candidate that had a similar philosophy to his own. If Dr.King was here for the future election I would be confident in his ability to help us choose a leader for this country that could lead us in a good direction. A direction of peace and understanding, focusing on equal rights, poverty, and militarism. One were we are united as a people, instead of being hateful and separated. **=


 * Martin Luther King, Jr. - Tough Mind, Tender Heart **


 * Washington High School - Washington, PA 15301 **
 * World History - Mr. Bunner - Period 2 **

__** BEYOND THE FACTS **__ 1.) Dr. King had a big heart and was willing to do anything to become equal. He was a courageous man that could speak in front of thousands of people and still keep his cool. He was one of the most amazing people to ever walk this Earth. Dr. King attempted to bring nothing but peace and love everywhere he went until the very end. Even after his death his message lived on, he even gave his own eulogy at his funeral that he had recorded even further showing that his words have and still do live on after his death. Since we have watched the video on Dr. King, we have been influenced to want change with racism and all of the bad things that are still happening around the world. We have discovered that the people in the back still matter, they are still human beings. No matter the color of your skin, you should still have the right to your freedom. Beyond the facts, we have discovered that Dr. King was human and made mistakes, just like all of us.We find out that his words are powerful than his hands.

2.)Dr. King represents all of the people who didn’t just take the racism of others and stood strong to make a point. Dr. King represents strength, freedom, and courage. Dr. King represents strength because no matter what he went through in his life, he continued to rally to make the change this world so badly needed. Even after being put into jail, being stabbed with an envelope opener, and his house being bombed he did not back down or coward away, instead he stepped up to the challenge. Dr. King represents freedom because without his marches and leadership we all wouldn’t have the more equal rights that we have today. Dr. King represents courage, he knew the right thing was to stand up and be the voice of freedom and equality even though it could be danger his life doing so. Dr. King knew all of the risk’s he was putting on himself by agreeing to be the “ voice “ of the group, but his courage inside kept him pushing towards his goal of equality. Dr. King never tried to portray himself as a perfect human but instead as just an average man. He never felt that he was any better than anyone else. Dr. King just wanted equality for everyone no matter the race or color.

3. Dr. King’s enduring message is universal and enclosed the healing of people, families, communities, the nation and the world to work towards justice, peace and equality. He healed a nation that was suffering from violence and hate. He was a man of unconditional love. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted everyone to love everybody (agape love) and “that we learn to be brothers and sisters on this planet or we perish together”. He wanted people to fight for what they believe in, never surrender or give up what you believe in, and fight for your dreams in a peaceful manner.

4.) Dr. King’s message fits into my philosophy of change because he wanted the same thing I want: For racism to end and for everyone to love everyone. I still think that this world needs help when it comes to ending racism. I don’t think that racism is as bad as it used to be, but it’s different (economic, institutional) and I still want to see a change. I still think that some blacks get treated bad and I want that to be changed. I think that this whole country needs improvement. I just want our country to be happy with each other and for everyone to get along. I do feel that at times there is a place for force however, that force may not always be violence. It may be political pressure or the use of media.There will always be some disagreements, but that doesn’t mean we have to solve it with violence and war. We need to learn how to have a civil disagreement. Dr. King’s message also stood for social justice and that today is still completely alive. Another one of his messages was to end poverty which is still a problem today. Why should all this money go to the military when there's people starving and sleeping outside on a daily basis? We could use some of the money to help get people off of the streets. In conclusion: I think all of our philosophies of change are similar or even inspired by Dr. King’s message. If we want to see change, we have to be patient and fight injustice with nonviolence.

5. As of right now, we need Dr. Martin Luther King more than anything. Dr. King’s sacrifices opened doors for many people and gave them wonderful opportunities. Dr. King wanted to unite people, not separate them. We need Dr. King to bring peace back to this country. He would be fighting to stop all of the violence that has been happening in the world lately. He literally changed the future (our present time). Many people are starting to forget what equality means, everyone has a right to their freedom no matter the color of your skin. Hearing Dr. King’s speeches again would help us grasp why change is for the better. We’ll always need Dr. King or at least someone like him. Dr. King would show us how to be a more peaceful and loving society.

=__ WHAT IF? __=

1.) Past Situation: I believe if Dr. King was around during the Civil War and the time of slavery. Then he may have eased racial tensions. If he were alive in those times, I believe he would have worked hard to form a better relationship between the North and the South. The idea of a compromise could have solved the problems or it could have completely divided the North and the South. Due to the extreme divide in thinking and treatment of blacks in the north and south his movements would have caused tension between the two halves of the country. I believe Dr. King wouldn’t of let the two sides become more divided than they already were. I think he would’ve done everything in his power to solve the numerous problems they had such as slavery, and the individuals in power. I think Dr. King would have solved these problems in a much more efficient and timely manner as well as potentially preventing the civil war from ever beginning.

2.) If we could use Dr.King’s philosophy and teachings right now in the school system, no kids would be left behind and they would all get a fair shot at a good education. Everyone deserves an equal education. Some schools are so poor that they don’t have the right teachers teaching the right subjects. Some kids are so smart, but they can’t afford to go to college. So many people are trying to overlook the fact that police brutality and discrimination is still an everyday part of life. African Americans shouldn’t get pulled over just because of the color of their skin. Everything that Dr. King has fought to change seems to be starting all over again (racism, poverty, militarism) Dr. King would feel irate at the fact that people think that the problems of today are not as big of an issue as they truly are.

3) A future situation where we could use Dr. King's methods would be the 2020 election. During the time of election, there is a lot of tension between people. I think if we had Dr. King around kind of as a mediator or just someone who brings people together and tries to prevent all of the bashing and arguing than I think things would go a lot smoother.

My future situation is my dream and my dream for other people once I get my life dream I plan to help other people achieve their dreams. He had his dream but he also had a dream for everyone else and what he wanted best for everyone

Future- Education: “Education without morals is like a ship without a compass, merely wondering nowhere.” Free education is the willingness to give resources to others. Dr. King wanted everyone to be treated equally, everyone should be given the same opportunities to higher education no matter their race, religion, or income. Dr. King would argue the fact that we have no right to dictate someone’s education no matter their circumstance.