Fifty years ago today, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Monument in Washington, D.C.

The words “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” still resonates today. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of America’s greatest speeches, Spotlight staffers asked students and staff what their dream would be today.

Fifty years ago King dreamt of a society that treated everyone as equals. His “free at last, free at last, great God almighty we are free last” marks an era in American history where civil rights was brought to the forefront. Here is what some of us dream about today:

“For the world to stop violence, There is no reason for hate and inequality,” sophomore Caitlyn Johnson

“To bring back all the soldiers; There is no need for war. That would be my dream,” senior Mackenzie Dean

“I believe we need to stop bullying in school, because people who are bullied can kill themselves,” junior  Kayla Bear.

“I believe in a world where all my friends can hang out with liking each other without me picking a side,” junior Natalie Bault

“I believe in stopping bullying in all countries because some kids kill themselves when they get bullied,” junior Kacea Greencash.

“I believe we should increase minimum wage so families can pay their bills and buy more for their families,” junior Cierra Brown

“I believe in no more taxes because they send innocent people to jail, and leave people poor,” junior James White

“I believe Dr. King’s speech is inspirational and it shows it’s up to us to make the change,” junior  Lavonte James

“I believe people should stop judging others before they get to know them,” junior Stephan Jackson

“I believe people should stop judging the way people act before they get to know them,” junior Chris Flores

“I believe we should legalize immigration because people want to live better lives in countries with more opportunities,” junior Edgar Leonardo

“I believe we should stop racism because I believe just because someone is a different color doesn’t mean they should be treated any differently,” junior Jose Johnson

“I believe the barriers to happiness should be removed from everyone’s life,” English teacher Becky Prather

“If I had a dream I would want equality for all races and for everybody should live life,” senior Jamie Akin

“If I had a dream I would like there to be more jobs for those to help support families,” junior Rashawn Bond

“If I had a dream I would create an organization for the empowerment of young women,” junior Tomiko McNeal

“I would want all students to be able to fulfill their own goals in life. I wish that more students would trust my advice in order for them to be able to become more successful,” counselor Mike Horning

“If I could change anything I would want to make education the top priority in our legislature and not just have it as a backburner issue,” Dean’s administrative assistant Meaghan Molsberry

“I believe that we say we have equality but we really don’t. I believe that we need true equality,” Childhood education teacher Stephanie Reis

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