Each year the Ohio Civil Rights Commission holds a statewide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Writing & Multimedia Contest for all students in Ohio grades 6-12. For the contest every year the commission picks a theme based on a quote by Dr. King, this year’s theme was “Small Things in a Great Way” based on the quote “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way” stated by Dr. King.
Tri-Valley High School Teacher Lori Hudson received notice of the contest and presented it to her class. Nathan Hustey a 15-year-old freshman in her class who likes to write decided that he wanted to try. Nathan just started at Tri-Valley this year, transferring from Bishop Rosecrans in Zanesville. Hustey is currently thinking about attending seminary school after high school. Aside from writing Nathan is a part of the Tri-Valley band where he plays piano and clarinet.
For his contest entry, Nathan had to create an essay that creatively responded to the following question:
Important change and greatness do not always come from activities that receive fanfare. How have you or will you work to promote equality and justice in your own way?
Read Nathan’s essay below:
What Could Be
Inequality and prejudice have plagued the pages of the past. From ancient Mesopotamia to its lingering effect in today’s society. Inequality imbues invidiousness into our world. Conquering the unfairness of the past and present requires an ample amount of attention from all of us. However, not all of us are in the position to execute an act so grand. Fortunately, feeding the flame of fairness to all can be done in smaller acts of goodness. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If l cannot do great things, I can
do small things in a great way.” By executing these smaller things, like taking time to observe other cultures, showing belief for representation of minorities, and generally opening the mind, we can create a society that is equal to all.
A key step in understanding other people is by examining their culture. Many people carry the assumption that the way their culture does things is the “right way.” Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but the disposition that theirs is “right” and everything else is “wrong,” builds bigotry and bias within sects. By taking the time to delve into the culture of a group different from yours, only then can the true wonders of diversity be explored. A good example of this for any youth is taking a foreign language
class. Within it, you not only learn the dialects and communication methods of other people, but learning about the culture is often included as well. Additionally, volunteering in a minority community from time to time can expose you to another culture, while simultaneously furthering its efforts in your own little way. The possibilities really are endless!
All groups of people deserve representation. Encouraging minorities from a majority position can go a long way for those currently without a voice in society. Many minorities are oppressed worldwide. By supporting funding for aid, their lives can promptly progress. Several organizations, including NAACP and the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, are designed to provide the help and representation needed by the underrepresented. Similarly, going to or supporting events held by an underrepresented
group can really help to progress their community and representation. Just a bit of contribution can go a long way!
One of the biggest hinderers of equality is the unwillingness to open the mind. The aforementioned belief that one’s own culture is indisputably “right” and every other culture is “wrong” has had horrible repercussions across history. Genocides in places such as Germany, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and even an ongoing one in Sudan have occurred across the past century because one sect is unwilling to accept the other and takes drastic measures to eliminate the minority. The failure to open the mind spawns stigmas to this day. By simply opening the mind to another group, a more positive view of diversity can arise. By simply opening the mind, lives and cultures can be saved and improved. By simply opening the mind, all groups can receive representation. By simply opening the mind, only then can true equality and diversity ensue.
In today’s world, taking steps to learn about other cultures, supporting the underrepresented, and opening the mind makes a huge difference, even if it doesn’t seem so. If acceptance and celebration of diversity are practiced diligently, lives can be saved and improved for generations to come. But only if … The world has turned its back on minorities before, but we have never been in a better situation to change that.
