Very few books offer a unique perspective on Martin Luther King's dream. It seems that everything has been discussed, regurgitated and discussed again. King's legacy is one that touches not only the generation that saw, heard and perhaps even had the privilege of shaking his hands but also affects the generations that came after and heard his message through books, plays and films. For a different take about MLK and his work, one has to dig deep and find a gem of a book. One that speaks about the Dream that MLK had and is it alive today. One book in particular that does this is edited by Jim Daniels enticed
"Challenges To the Dream: The Best of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Writing Awards At Carengie Mellon Univeristy." Last spring I had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Daniels at a library event where he was discussing his book "Rowing Inland." This poetic work was recognized as one of Michigan Notable Books for 2018. Fascinating storytelling about growing up in the Detroit suburbs, which quite frankly seems like it shouldn't fit in with the Detroit Literature genre but it does. When speaking to Mr. Daniels about "Rowing Inland," he brought up that he had also edited this anthology about MLK. Immediately intrigued about this book, I asked if he had a copy and he graciously provided one for me. The book does not disappoint.
The entries in this anthology are written by award winners from Pittsburgh area high school students who were invited to write honestly, openly and creatively about race. The winners provide a unique look at the struggles, the accomplishments, the frustrations and joy of living in a diverse culture. In their words, they have captured what it is like to encounter racism and diversity today. Each of the entry encourages the reader to reflect on their own beliefs, feelings and experiences about racism. One can not help that after reading just one of the entry, to be impressed by the maturity of the writer. as they deal with complex racial issues that involve stereotypes, inter-racial relationship, and much more.
The book is a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr, and it is appropriate to read today but honestly this should not be the only time of the year to pick it up. It's good for any day of the year when readers are looking fo the reminder of the beauty that can be found when he forget the color of skin but look at the content of character. In this case, looking at the content of the written word that teaches us about the human race and teaches us about ourselves as well.
