Actor Brings Memory Of Martin Luther King Jr. To Life For Students
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Nearly 50 years have passed since Martin Luther King uttered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, DC.
But today, actor Gregory Kenney shared a dream of his own in a presentation to sixth graders at Hillcrest Intermediate School in Irwin. In Kenney's dream, he actually meets the civil rights icon at the Lincoln Memorial.
"They buy into what you're saying, and you have their total attention," Kenney says of the students. "And there's really nothing better. There's absolutely nothing better."
Dr. King is one of 10 dynamic characters he portrays, ranging from Louis Armstrong to Roberto Clemente.
"I want to grab their attention," Kenney says. "I want them to be there, right with me all throughout the story. And I think by adding action and emotion to those things, you can grab them."
The sixth graders were born long after Dr. King was slain. Yet somehow, they know him.
"He helped white and black people be together," one student said.
"It makes us feel that nobody's entirely different, and we're all just humans on this earth doing what we need to do," another says.
We know how the story ends. But Gregory Kenney delivers more than a history lesson. He imparts a simple, yet eloquent message.
For information on Gregory Kenney's portrayals, log on to: www.educateus.org
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