Jessi Marquez

My little sister wrote an essay today on Martin Luther King Jr. She gave me a copy to look over and I wanted to share it with you.

Have you ever had a challenge? Maybe it was small and you overcame it. Or maybe it was big and you felt like it was impossible. Have you ever given up when it got too hard? The Bible says anything is possible with God. There is one man who strongly comes to mind when hearing this.

Martin Luther King Jr. faced a difficult challenge: Segregation along with Discrimination and Racism. While most African Americans just stood there not doing anything, he did. He stood up to his challenge and faced his demon. He gave many speeches on the hatred behind segregation, discrimination and racism. Many of his speeches like the famous " I had a dream" inspired people all over to stand up to segregation, discrimination and racism.

Although King was assassinated, he still faced his challenge and overcame it. His speeches inspired millions who carried on his dream. They helped people believe there would be a day where segregation, discrimination and racism would be gone. Although we are still not fully there, his speeches still made a huge impact.

So the next time you have a challenge, and you think there is nothing you can do, do it anyway. That little thing can impact a nation and help us get to a better future. You are the change.

- By Jaclyn Marquez

13 years old