Young Houstonians, including children in elementary and middle school, are engaging thoughtfully with Black history and leadership today.
Taking a deeper look into the past, some see themselves in their idols’ shoes.
At a recent oratory competition, which focused on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for 30 years, Houston ISD students reflected on what Black leadership means to them today.
Many students framed King as a historical figure, but above all, as an example of how individuals should treat others in everyday life.
What students have to say
Otis Marks III, a fifth-grader at Windsor Village Elementary, grounded his speech in family history, connecting the civil rights movement to his own life.
He described his grandmother, whom he never met but knows through photographs and through the scar she carried.
That scar, he explained, came from a 1955 protest at a segregated lunch counter, where she and her classmates demonstrated peacefully.
“They believe in the power of love to break the chains of hate,” Marks said. “Unfortunately, the police were called, and instead of protecting the peaceful protesters, those officers beat them, including my own grandmother.”
That story became the foundation for his message. He framed King’s legacy as a torch passed to his generation, saying young people are now responsible for turning words about equality into a lived reality.
Repeating the phrase “follow me,” Marks painted a picture of a world without racial divisions or social labels.
He described a society where people of all backgrounds can “sit at the table” together and where children grow up “safe, valuable, and free to pursue their dreams without judgment.”
“That is the world Dr. King dreamed up, and that is the world we are called to build,” Marks added.
Marks emphasized that such a world requires action, sacrifice, and teamwork.
Dreams, he said, “don’t build themselves.”
He urged his schoolmates to carry King’s message forward with courage and pride, walking “side by side, step by step” toward justice.
His mother, Michelle Banks, a salon manager and banker, said King’s influence remains relevant for younger generations.
She described the importance of teaching children to accept others as they are.
“Being kind and letting people be their authentic selves,” she said, is where leadership begins. “It starts with humanity and empathy towards people. That’s how you fight.”
Banks also noted that families often introduce children to civil rights history outside of school.
Meanwhile, Stormii Olezene, a fourth-grader at Blackshear Elementary School, described King and other Black leaders’ messages as something shared across communities.
“It means something that we can all share with each other,” she said, adding that his legacy represents “respect and equality.”
Her interpretation linked civil rights history with daily interpersonal behavior.
Emphasizing the importance of education in preserving King’s impact, Chy’na Jenkins, a fifth-grade student of Thompson Elementary, said schools should include more of his speeches in history lessons.
“If Dr. King were here today, I would give him a message of hope for the human beings,” she said in her speech. “The dream is still alive, even if it faces insufficiency, inequality, and uncertainty.”
Jenkins’ comments connected Black leadership to historical knowledge and curriculum representation.
“MLK means a lot to me, especially because he fought for segregation and tried to help all the colored people,” she said.
Remembering the not-so-distant history
Other students spoke about leadership in terms of hope and action.
Leila Loris, a third grader, mentioned former President Barack Obama as someone she admires.
She said she likes him because “he helped us with our community” and said his example encourages her to pursue her own dreams.
Her comments reflected how some students see a direct line between earlier civil rights leaders and contemporary Black public figures.
Kwamne Nkrumah Cain, executive vice president of Unity Bank and a judge at the oratory competition, believes children engage with history more than people think.
“The students are very connected with history,” Cain said. “You can see that in this evidence, in the speeches, in the passion, in the way they conducted themselves and expressed themselves.”
