GES sixth-graders honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's hard for Gardnerville Elementary School sixth-grader Kendall Cummins to imagine a time in American history when segregated blacks and whites were considered "separate but equal."

"The color of your skin shouldn't make a difference," the 12-year-old said Jan. 22, minutes before an assembly to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

In an annual tradition, the sixth-grade classes of Meredith Swanson-Jessup and Alison Mains-Lay teamed up for a half hour of song and speech as a way to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

"We want to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. because he fought for equal rights," said 11-year-old Raquel Garcia.

Raquel explained the significance of the black-and-white costumes and shiny plastic top hats she and other classmates were wearing.

"The black and white symbolize equality," she said. "The important thing to remember is that he (King) died trying to help all cultures."

As the opening narrator, Raquel told the younger student body that King used nonviolent protest and activism to achieve equality.

"He used words instead of fists, and they proved to be just as strong," she said.

Students recounted the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, and they recited the famous lines of King's "I Have a Dream Speech."

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," the students exclaimed.

They also sang and danced to honor the late civil rights hero. The sixth-graders threw their top hats into the crowd. At one point, they flipped the lights and walked through the audience with flashlights and glow-sticks while singing "Shed a Little Light."

"Recognize that there are ties between us, all men and women living on the earth, ties of hope and love, sister and brotherhood," they sang.

Using rhyme, they sent King's message home:

"We must love each other to survive," they cried. "Let us keep his dream alive!"