January 21, 2020

“It Was A Frightening Experience..”

…It was a weeknight in Birmingham, Alabama.

And, this, 12-year-old black boy, Freeman Hrabowski didn’t want to go to church.

But his parents insisted he come to the church and hear a visiting minister.

Hrabowski sat in the back of the church, working on math problems and eating M&Ms.

“All of a sudden, I hear this gentleman say, ‘If the children participate in this peaceful protest, all of America will understand that even our babies know the difference between right and wrong,’ ” Hrabowski recalls.

It was 1963, and the guest speaker was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Amused at what he heard from Dr. King, Hrabowski, a 12-year-old, decided to participate in the Children’s Crusade of 1963, a pivotal event of the Civil Rights Movement, which opened the eyes of the nation through the courageous activism of its youngest citizens.

Hrabowski was one among the thousands of students that skipped classes and participated in the protest and were later arrested and sent to jail.

“It was a powerful experience, a frightening experience,” said Hrabowski, 67. “It was the first time I understood that I, as even a child … had the opportunity to have an impact on my own future.”

He says Dr. King visited the children in the jail and said the following:

“What you do this day will have an impact on children not yet born.”

And, the rest is history.

#HappyMartinLutherKingDay

Here’s a small video clip from my upcoming, and yet-to-finish, book trailer that features a tiny portion from Dr. King’s iconic, “I have a dream” speech.

References:

Read the full article at: https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-co-hrabowski-mlk-20180112-story.html

Watch Freeman Hrabowski TED Talk at: https://www.ted.com/talks/freeman_hrabowski_4_pillars_of_college_success_in_science

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