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On August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, is when Martin Luther King delivered his deeply moving “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial. During his iconic speech, he called for the end of racism and for equal civil and economic rights in the United States. He shared his dreams of equality, tolerance, justice and peace for America. The life’s work of Martin Luther King Jr. continues to inspire hope and healing.
On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s life and legacy. For this day, inspired by his great dream for America, the students in Mrs. Polles’ creative writing class came together to create the “Calais Dream Tree.”
Why a Dream Tree?
The roots of our Dream Tree stand firmly planted in a history of activism. They represent the significant contributions made to our society by the life and legacy of MLK Jr. Contributions that have given us the inspirational foundation on which to build our own dreams.
The trunk represents the interconnectedness we share as people on this Earth. We are connected in our desire to accept others and be accepted by others. We come together in our efforts to leave this world a little better than how we found it. We are united by our shared belief that all people should be judged by the content of their character and not by the physical differences we may see.
The branches represent all the different people living together in the world. You may have noticed that the branches insight feelings of chaos or hecticness. This was intentionally done to reflect the civil unrest felt nationally at the time MLK Jr. addressed the public on August 28th of 1963.
Scattered among the branches the students of Mrs. Polles’s class have placed their own dreams. These beautiful words of hope and inspiration are a reminder that we all have a voice and can make a change in the world.
