'It's powerful work' — Students ready to use their voices at Lincoln's MLK Youth Rally

Jenna Ebbers • Lincoln Journal Star

Inside a small conference room at the Eiseley Branch Library last week, more than a dozen students from middle and high schools across Lincoln rehearsed and critiqued their speeches over and over again.

The group has been preparing for months now to tell their stories and let their voices be heard at the 29th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally on Jan. 15 — a day intended to remember and honor the late civil rights leader through student performances.

The students have been working hard writing, researching and editing to create impactful, original pieces — some incorporating adaptations of famous speeches and others pulling from their own lives — that they will perform during the rally.

Their effort will be worth it, though, said Pete Ferguson, who advises the group, because when the time comes to take the stage, he’s confident they’ll be ready.

“They're gonna crush it, whether they mess up a line, whether they forget something, whether they stumble or whether they bring the crowd to its feet,” he said. “Our focus that day is just making sure that we empower, educate, inspire.”

The rally will kick off at 10 a.m. on the morning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the Centennial Room at the Student Union on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s downtown campus, with doors opening at 9:15 a.m.

The entire event will also be available to livestream through the LNKTV Education website, LNKTV YouTube and the City of Lincoln's Facebook page.

The event is organized by members of the rally’s planning committee — made up entirely of students — and will feature speeches, reflections and music performed by students.

“The adults, their presence is in the seats,” Ferguson said.

This year, the group is focusing on the theme “Walk Together With Love,” a message Rafa Ahmed has found inspiration in.

“When Pete first told us the theme, I feel like it kind of just helped me see love everywhere,” the sophomore at Lincoln North Star said. “It’s honestly just a reflection of who I want to be.”

Ahmed is among the students who will perform at the event and will recite a poem she wrote herself telling the story of her mother’s journey to find the “sweet syrup of freedom” after immigrating to America.

“I wanted to do something about being an immigrant. It's a really big part of who I am,” she said. “My mom is my favorite person ever and her life story is so similar to so many others, but it's still uniquely hers.”

Ahmed isn’t only excited to share her mother’s story, but for the chance to use her voice in a meaningful way and to encourage other young people — like her little brother and sister — to do the same.

“Youth aren't really listened to or are not really a big part of conversations that we should be a part of,” she said. “So being able to stand there and talk to people who can't talk back or tell me to be quiet or anything, it's going to be hopefully super powerful and influential for the students.”

This is the second year Breklin Dyson, who will also perform an original piece, has taken the stage at the rally, but before that, she watched from the crowd. So, when the seventh-grader at Irving Middle School had the opportunity to join the planning committee, she took it.

And she hasn’t looked back.

“It changed my life,” Dyson said. “It's powerful work, and it's empowering kids, the next generation, to change the world.”

Photo Credit • JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Organizers of Lincoln's MLK youth rally look forward to more normal year

Lincoln Journal Star • Zach Hammack • Jan 15, 2023 Updated Jan 16, 2023

The day before last year's Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally, Daniel Turner didn't feel well.

He had chills and a cold. Some of his family had tested positive for COVID-19, so he went to an urgent care clinic to get checked out.

Turner.

"(The nurse) came back and she said, 'Yeah, it's positive,'" said Turner, now a senior at Lincoln Southwest. "I was like, 'Wait, I got the rally tomorrow. What am I supposed to do?'"

Luckily, Turner had recorded his speech in advance of the annual student-driven rally that honors the legacy of MLK and rally founder Leola Bullock through speeches, poetry and songs.

Still, it wasn't the same, which makes Monday's 28th MLK Youth Rally — the first in three years that the public is invited to attend — that much more special.

"I've been inviting everyone and their mom," said Turner, one of the only students on the rally's planning committee who remembers what it was like before COVID. "To have everyone there once again, to feel that energy, that vibe … it's super exciting."

This year's rally will begin at 10 a.m. at the student union on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's downtown campus. The theme is "MLK to Me," in which students will reflect on what the late civil rights leader means to them personally.

It builds off last year's theme of "Walk Together," which focused on how the world can take steps toward civility, justice, equity and kindness, said Pete Ferguson, youth development coordinator at Lincoln Public Schools and one of the rally's advisers.

Peter Ferguson is youth development coordinator at Lincoln Public Schools.

The event will also be televised on LNKTV's education channel and livestreamed on YouTube and the city of Lincoln's Facebook page.

Monday's rally will mark a relative return to normalcy. In 2021, organizers shifted it completely online, and last year, only a small number of guests were invited amid a surge in COVID cases.

To commemorate what organizers are hoping will be a packed house on Monday, Turner will perform a speech called "Rally Reunion," a take on a monologue from Cicely Tyson's character in the film "Madea's Family Reunion."

The rally will also feature a performance from fifth graders involved with Belmont Elementary School's TRACKS Scholar program.

Also on Monday, Southeast freshman Addison Olds will deliver her take on King's famous "We Shall Overcome" speech.

To her, King showed that no matter who you are, you can make a difference in the world.

"You don't have to be a certain age or certain gender or a certain race. There's always time to make a change, and that's something MLK has taught me," she said.

Before COVID, students would march from UNL to the state Capitol, where they would perform in the Warner Chamber.

That hasn't been the case the past three years, although Ferguson said organizers may consider bringing the march back in future years.

The pandemic did have a silver lining, though, allowing students to reach a wider, digital audience than in the past.

"We have individuals in Ohio, even Sudan, from California to Kansas, who watched the rally," Ferguson said.

But nothing can replace the atmosphere that a live audience brings. The words of affirmation, the back-and-forth with the crowd.

"I missed hearing, 'You go, baby! You got this!'" said Turner. "Mainly, I missed us all getting together."

Photo Credit • JUSTIN WAN Journal Star

A change in plans doesn't stop MLK Youth Rally students from delivering powerful message Zach Hammack | Lincoln Journal Star | Jan 17, 2022

The first time Emma Brown took part in the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March, it was not the same full-house affair that others were used to. 

The youth-driven rally, which takes place annually on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, was forced online because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2021. So this year, the eighth-grader at Lefler Middle School was looking forward to a return to normalcy.

Then came the omicron variant, and a change in plans: The rally would be live-streamed with no in-person audience for a second straight year.

"That kind of bummed me out," Brown said. "I was looking forward to all these people coming in."

But like the rest of her peers on the planning committee for the 27th annual rally, Brown knew that the mission of the program remained unchanged.

To educate, empower and engage. To "Walk Together" — the rally's theme this year — in steps toward civility, justice, equity and kindness. To talk about the injustices, too, that still persist today, like the movements across the country to restrict voting rights.

Messages that ring true no matter how they're delivered.

"We're still able to reach people through their screens because it's a really powerful program," Brown said.

Highlights from MLK Youth Rally

And Monday at the Nebraska Union on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, that's exactly what they did.

In front of a handful of people and a camera in a second-floor ballroom, the rally participants honored the legacy of MLK and late civil rights activist Leola Bullock — the rally's founder — with moving speeches, poetry and songs.

This "call to action" — the main event of the rally — included a mix of pre-recorded segments and live performances, including by fifth graders in Belmont Elementary School's TRACKS scholar program, who told the story of the little-known Teachers March in Selma, Alabama, in 1965.

Brown recited the poem "In This Place (An American Lyric)" written by Amanda Gorman, the Black woman who became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration.

To Brown, the poem "is about all these places in America, and how every single person has their own story, and that everybody has a chance to kind of rewrite this nation in that we can change these stories and make our world a better place."

Omaha Central High School sophomore Kherie Posey used her voice in a different way —  through music, singing songs such as Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang" and a mashup of the spiritual "The Goodbye Song" and "Glory" by John Legend and Common.

"Music is a universal language," she said.

Posey got involved in the rally for the first time this year after meeting Pete Ferguson, a youth development coordinator at Lincoln Public Schools and one of the rally's advisers, over the summer. 

She learned how the rally was more than just honoring people such as MLK and Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman, but all Black people who fought for change and paved the way for greater civil rights.

"Those were not the only people to put in the footmarks," she said.

The MLK Youth Rally, in its 27th year, was the brainchild of Bullock, who wanted to make MLK Day about youth empowerment.

But for the past two years, rally organizers have had to adapt. There is no march through the streets of Lincoln, no in-person audience.

"It's different in a lot of ways," Ferguson said. "Just for people in the community, the elders, who come to be reaffirmed, this is their booster shot. ... You see tears rolling down somebody's cheek; you can't replicate that virtually." 

Parents of those involved Monday were able to watch the livestream in adjoining rooms and later met their children after the rally, smiles beaming behind their masks.

"Every year, it seems like they take the notch up just a little bit higher than the previous year," said Scott Moore, whose daughter Tatum Moore, a freshman at Lincoln High School, took part in the rally. "It's really good for our community."

And although it was disappointing not to have a packed house, Lincoln High senior Riek Bol says there is a silver lining.

"We have the exposure to other people around the world, around the country ... to view it and see how powerful our message can be." 

Doane awards Rally Civil Rights book project scholars The Belmont 8 with scholarships

'A great beginning': Doane surprises Belmont students featured in film with scholarship

Zach Hammack • October 26, 2022

Fifty-five years ago on Wednesday, Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia and asked them a question.

What is your life's blueprint?

So, it seemed like destiny to Bobbie Ehrlich then, that on the anniversary of that famous speech, her former students would find their answer in the Belmont Community Center gym.

On Wednesday, Doane University announced a new scholarship program for eight former Belmont Elementary students whose journey preparing for the annual MLK Youth Rally and March as part of the school's TRACKS mentorship program was captured in an Emmy-nominated documentary.

"What are you going to do with your blueprint?" Ehrlich said, echoing MLK after the scholarships were announced in a surprise ceremony. "You just got the opportunity to have the most amazing experiences unfold."

On Wednesday, Doane University announced a new scholarship program for eight former Belmont Elementary students whose journey preparing for the annual MLK Youth Rally and March as part of the school's TRACKS mentorship program was captured in an Emmy-nominated documentary.

"What are you going to do with your blueprint?" Ehrlich said, echoing MLK after the scholarships were announced in a surprise ceremony. "You just got the opportunity to have the most amazing experiences unfold."

"It was an easy decision because you bring so much talent, so much vision and your future is limitless," said Luis Sotelo, Doane vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The scholarships, funded by Doane, will provide "culturally responsive educational experience" annually for other students as well. Starting in sixth grade, students will be offered a number of leadership and service opportunities, and those who successfully complete the program will be admitted to Doane for free.

"It kind of surprised me," said Morris. "I just hope that everyone who gets this opportunity, they do good stuff. … Like, we're the first and I hope we're not the last."

Ashley Morris, Alex's mother, said her son has already visited Doane and "loved it." She was "so proud" and "excited" when he was offered the scholarship.

"I had no idea it was going to be of this magnitude," she said.

The eight Belmont TRACKS scholars were featured in the 2021 documentary "We Will Not Be Silent," which tracked the then-fifth graders as they prepared for the MLK Youth Rally and March, an annual gathering of students in Lincoln honoring MLK and other civil rights leaders' legacies. 

Nearly every crop of TRACKS scholars had done the same thing: Take a book about the civil rights movement and transform it into a performance piece.

But the pandemic had arrived. The 2021 rally — an important one with the social unrest of the year before fresh on everyone's mind — was in jeopardy.

"Many of our kids, our Black and brown scholars, already are not receiving equitable opportunities, and COVID expanded that," said Pete Ferguson, a youth development coordinator at LPS, who helped start the TRACKS program. "We'd be doing a disservice if I and the other community members" canceled the rally.

But they didn't.

Instead, the 2021 rally went virtual. Brian Seifferlein and David Koehn of LPS's media services decided to document the unusual journey. The two ended up shooting hundreds of hours of footage parsed down into a one-hour, black-and-white documentary.

The movie was shown at the Lincoln Community Playhouse and later nominated for a regional Emmy.

Then Marilyn Johnson Farr and her colleagues reached out.

Doane University wanted to air the movie at Crete college for prospective teachers to see and hear the voices of students that they would soon serve in the future.

The showing was in October, and when it was over, Ferguson got on the stage and made a pitch: Let's not let the story end here. Don't let these students walk away empty-handed.

"He just made a very moving request," Johnson Farr, a professor of education.

The college students were so moved — by Ferguson and the film both — they wrote letters in support of the scholarships.

The idea eventually came before President Roger Hughes, who jumped on board.

"Immediately he was like, 'Let's do it,'" Ferguson said. 

The scholarships are paid for by Doane and will cover the cost of undergraduate tuition, but it will require an investment of time on the part of the scholars, Johnson Farr said. They'll visit the campus, take part in educational camps and meet with Hughes. 

In essence, the foundation will already be laid by the time they graduate, so they'll come to college prepared.

"It's a great beginning," Johnson Farr said.

The TRACKS program dates back to Ferguson's time volunteering in a fourth-grade classroom more than 20 years ago.

Ferguson, who was working for Leadership Lincoln at the time, proved so popular with the students that each fourth grader wanted him as his mentor.

Instead, the school picked students from every class based on nomination letters and staff input.

Thus, TRACKS — which stands for talent, respect, ambition, commitment and knowledge — was born.

The mentorship group is seen as a way to give young, diverse students a leg up, much like Doane's scholarships will aim to do, too.

"There was a family with me, and I wasn't alone," Mohamed Sabiel said about his time in the program.

Kenadee Broussard said the program allowed her to meet more people and opened up doors for her.

Like on Wednesday, when she and her peers began to draw their own blueprint. 

"This is amazing," said Kip Broussard, Kenadee Broussard's brother. "I don't know if they realize what an amazing opportunity they truly have in front of them right now, but they will." 

Documentary capturing annual Rally Civil Rights book experience nominated for a Heartland Emmy®

We Will Not Be Silent, the documentary capturing the annual Rally Civil Rights book experience, has been nominated for a Heartland Emmy® in the category of cultural documentary!

A membership-based organization dedicated to advancing and awarding excellence in all areas of media and television, the Emmy® Awards. One 19 regional chapters across the US, covering Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

Congratulations and appreciation to Brian Seifferlein and David Koehn for capturing this process showcasing the 27-year mission of the Rally, “…promotion of the lives and dreams of the late King, Jr. and Dr. Leola Bullock through positive youth action.”

The Rally appreciates those on and off the screen who contributed their time, talent, and treasures. This includes but is not limited to the 15 prior years of book project scholars and families, stakeholders, funders, and collaborators.

To watch the documentary and gain insight on the 2021 Pandemic Rally experience and be convinced there’s hope for the future, as Keith L. Brown states, CLICK HERE.

Lincoln Public Schools Documentary to Profile Scholars Youth Rally and March Performance Journey

The Planning Committee in partnership with Lincoln Community Playhouse and community stakeholder HyVee an employee-owned grocery store is honored to premiere the Lincoln Public Schools Library Services production of the documentary We Will Not Be Silent.

We Will Not Be Silent chronicles Lincoln Public Schools fifth grade scholars Eveline, Mohamed, Alex, Alejandra, Payton, Kenadee, Jevon, and Leriya'h their empowerment group advisor, educators, families, school, and community stakeholders through various challenges, a pandemic, social unrest, and their embracement of an opportunity to educate, speak, and touch hearts and minds.

Producers David Koehn and Brian Seifferlein capture what can happen even in a pandemic and time of social unrest when focused on positive intents and love. The end result is a resounding message our community and nation’s collective need to take steps toward equity, justice, civility, and kindness.  It is a fantastic showcase of the endless opportunities for growth and positive impacts when we look for them, create them, and keep living with that purpose of serving.

HyVee an employee-owned grocery store is honored to serve as the “Walk Together” premiere sponsor. “Beloved” supporter Lincoln Community Playhouse will serve as host for the invitation-only April 29th premiere and weekend matinees. Due to the current DHM LCP capacity guidelines tickets are limited. There is the potential for a handful of general seating tickets will be made available the week of April 25th.

Special thanks and acknowledgment to additional premiere stakeholders; Lincoln Sports Foundation, RAAFT by Polytech L.L.C., Bratten Performance (Colorado) and Peter Ferguson | BHS.

For some, MLK youth rally -- and its mission -- has become a family affair

Written By Margaret Reist • Jan 21, 2017 Updated Aug 28, 2019

Here’s how it starts.

You’re playing basketball and one day the coach, out of the blue, says he’s got a job for you. A project. Fourth-grader that you are, you smile and say, OK, coach. Before long, you’re recruiting your younger twin brothers to the cause.

Or, your older sister gets tapped by the president of the local NAACP chapter to participate in a rally and you go to hear her speak. Then your other sister follows in her footsteps, then suddenly you’re in high school and it seems only natural that you should now stand at a podium talking to hundreds of people about Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.

That, at least, is how it happened for Azcia Fleming and Micah Wilson -- two high school students for whom the Martin Luther King Youth Rally and March has become a family affair of sorts.

Wilson, now a senior at East High School, started attending the rallies in middle school because of his older sister, and last year he took his first turn at the podium.

As fate would have it, Fleming, now a freshman at Lincoln High’s International Baccalaureate Program, played on a basketball team coached by Pete Ferguson, who’s been at the helm of the student-driven rally for years. She got her twin brothers involved, five years later they’re still here and now their half-sister is involved.

And so on Saturday Fleming and Wilson welcomed a crowd at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln student union -- the first time in the event’s 22-year history that it hasn’t been held in the Nebraska State Capitol’s Warner Chamber.

Traditionally held on Martin Luther King Day, this year’s ice storm prompted organizers to postpone it until Saturday and move it to the union.

That was a fine place to do what they came to do.

“We’re here today to celebrate the lives and dreams of Martin Luther King Jr.,” Wilson said.

He and Fleming highlighted the issues they are standing up for today: the achievement gap, racism, police brutality, discrimination against the LBGTQ community, mass incarceration and gender inequality.

“We ask that after this program you ask yourself what issues you are passionate about,” they said. “How are you going to stand up and speak out. How are you going to be the comet that impacts your sky?”

Neither Fleming or Wilson knew Leola Bullock, the local civil rights icon who started the rally, which she envisioned being student-driven.

But they appreciate what she did, they said, and part of the time they commit each year to organize the rally is to honor her dream.

“We’re part of the legacy she inspired,” Wilson said in an interview before the rally. “What she wanted youth to be in our community, we’re building off what she wanted.”

Wilson’s mom Catherine Wilson said her kids decided on their own to participate and while she encouraged them -- they kept going back on their own each year, committing every Sunday for months to planning.

She likes that the event promotes leadership skills, that it teaches students much more about the civil rights movement than students learn in schools, and that it inspires them to become involved.

Both of Wilson’s sisters are in college now, but their influence slipped into the speech their younger brother gave at Saturday’s rally.

“I was in middle school when my older sister stands where I am today,” he said. “Within her speech, she introduced the idea that diversity is much more than how many African-Americans you have on your campus, but rather diversity is different experiences, and those experience give life to knowledge.”

Fleming says being involved in the rally has taught her much about civil rights locally and nationally. And she believes in the mission to promote equality and civic action.

“I just think about where we were and where we are now. We still have a long way to go,” she said. “But I appreciate the people who paved the way. I wouldn’t have the parents I have now (Fleming is biracial), I wouldn’t’ be sitting in class and raising my hand.”

Wilson, who will graduate from East this May, said his experience with the rally has taught him that he can be an agent for change.

“The main thing I’m going to take away is that even though I’m a minority youth I can evoke positive change in my community no matter where I go,” he said.

Fleming’s younger brothers Malik and Makhi said they’ve learned how to get up in front of people and speak -- no easy task. They’ve always performed together, until this year, when they gave separate speeches.

On Saturday, Makhi remembered the people who’ve lost their lives because of discrimination -- from Emmet Till to recent victims of police shootings.

And Malik read a letter to President Trump, encouraging him to represent everyone.

“I look forward to you making sure that those in the minority are not hidden figures,” he said. “That more effort, time and resources are spent on tearing down walls, not building them.”

And then, because he knows how the new president likes Twitter, he ended with this:

“I know you like to Tweet, so feel free to follow us at @MRally93.”

CANCELED March 19th MLK Youth Rally “Walk” Together Auction & Luncheon

The PILLARS Restaurant Group sponsored Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Rally and March My “Walk” public shoe viewing, luncheon and auction event scheduled for Thursday, March 19th is being canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. The event was to take place at the Jasmine Room by Venue (Lincoln, Nebraska).

National and local health authorities have determined that social distancing reduces the risk of spreading or contracting this virus.

“We are canceling out of an abundance of caution to avoid the possibility of unnecessarily exposing participants while allowing additional time to plan the event,” said Peter Ferguson, on behalf of the youth planning committee. 

To support national and local health authorities displays at the local libraries will be discontinued immediately and at PILLAR Restaurant Group entities Venue, Cactus Modern Mexican Cantina, and Piedmont at Bistro. In house, dining has been suspended at these locations to support the health and safety of guests and employees. Carryout, curbside, and free delivery are available.

We encourage you to support local and order today at venuedelivered.com.

For additional information contact mlkyouthrally93@yahoo.com or 402.730.8709.

During these times make sure others are doing well

Amidst the current COVID-19 and Pandemic concerns The MLK Planning Committee sends its thoughts to all directly or indirectly impacted.  

Make sure others are doing well. May seem small, but that is something that will go a long way. During this time a “Walk” together toward, kindness, civility, and equity is needed now more than ever. Let us exemplify leadership that speaks clearly against racism, and in any absence of leadership provide it to support and bring our community closer together and not further divides.

The Great Lakes Equity/MAP Center provided an excellent reminder to consider equity, community care, and self-care during responses to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Be mindful of the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of yourself and those around you.

During this time…

• Stay safe 

• Continue efforts to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community

• Observe the guidelines available on the CDC website to help flatten the curve

“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Sincerely, 

 MLK Youth Rally Planning Committee