900 fifth-graders attend 31st annual human rights event

Rev. Percy "Happy" Watkins received two standing ovations from 900 fifth-graders Thursday morning for his powerful reenactment of Martin Luther King Jr's 1963 speech, "I have a dream."

The children listened intently as Watkins’ voice bellowed through the church: "Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty we are free at last."

Prior to his commanding presentation, Watkins thanked the "young people" for inviting him and gave them some heady advice.

"And recognize the three greatest institutions — if Martin Luther King was here he'd tell you — the home, the family and the kitchen table," he said. "And listen especially to the greatest professors and teachers there are — that's your parents, your guardians, your teachers. And be the best that you can be."

The Martin Luther King Jr. event, held at Lake City Community Church, was the 31st annual Human Rights Celebration hosted by the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, in partnership with the Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls school districts.

Tony Stewart, a founder and board member of the task force, said approximately 36,000 fifth-graders have been through the program over the years — and he has never missed one.

"The first students we had are now 39 and 40 years old," Stewart said. "They have kids in the program now."

He said the program has grown so much that two events are held now; one for 10 schools in the Coeur d'Alene School District at 9:30 a.m., and another for the five schools in the Post Falls district right after.

Stewart said the purpose of the event is to teach children that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect.

"We learned a long time ago, anyone who works in human rights and civil rights, that when children are born, they are not born with bigotry and prejudice," he said. "It's a learned behavior. So if you want to advance human rights, education is the place to do that. There are a lot of families that are very wonderful and also teach their children, but some families don't."

The program began with a slideshow of photos and quotes by King, and then the kids were included in the program as well. Every fifth-grade student participated, writing a short essay or poem, and 10 of the children were chosen to read their work between songs, expressive dancing and the famous speech read by Watkins. The essays, part of a writing competition, covered topics such as war, bullying, and of course, dreams.

Claire Swanby, from Winton Elementary, won first place for her essay titled, "But True Peace?"

"I think that one of the biggest threats we face today is war," she began. "Just think about the great costs of war and how many people sacrificed themselves to do what they think is right for their country. There must be a better way to be heard ... Peace must be fought for, but must it be killed for?"

She ended by stating that she believes there is a way to find true peace, not just a "temporary break between wars."

Payton Rae Smith from Dalton Elementary received second place for her essay, "Imagine," which began with lyrics from the John Lennon song of the same title, and also addressed war and peace.

"Millions of people die every single day," she said. "Why? Simply because of misunderstandings. The more I learn about war, the more I want it to stop."

The songs were performed by the choir of Sorensen Elementary, known as "Canto de Sorensen." The group received extended applause for its rendition of "A change is gonna come," by Sam Cooke.

Jim Gray, principal of Dalton Elementary, said it was 51 years ago, a year and a half after King's speech, when the song was first recorded.

"A black man named Sam Cooke strolled into a recording studio, put on a pair of headphones and laid down the tracks for one of the most important songs of the entire civil rights era," Gray said.

The "Amazing Winton Elementary School Body Sox Dancers" were no less powerful with their performance as they took to the stage, using their bodies and hands to express the anti-bullying message depicted in the song "Don't Laugh at Me," by Michael Black.

The program ended as the entire audience stood up to join Canto de Sorensen in singing "True Colors." Some of the fifth-graders sang quietly at first, but by the end they were belting out the words, "Don't be afraid to let them show, your true colors."