Martin Luther King, Jr: A Beatitude Man

Blessed are the peacemakers; for they will be called children of God!

Continuing with their recognition of Black History Month, eighth graders at Saints Cyril and Methodius School in Deer Park brought religious education to life in February by completing projects based on the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr. and how he lived and shared the Beatitudes in his daily life.

Studying a unit on the Beatitudes, with a focus on a section entitled: “A Beatitude Man: Martin Luther King, Jr.”, students researched and examined the life of Dr. King and created posters and collages illustrating moments and mantras from this activist and prominent leader within the African American civil rights movement. Born a black man in a white society where there was supposedly no space for someone of his “kind” to rise above his or her current standing, Dr. King lived it out the Beatitudes through his words and actions and made an indelible mark on our American culture and society.

Student projects included a focus on everything from the very words of his infamous 1963 “I have a dream” speech to drawing more subtle inferences from MLK’s life to the Beatitudes, such as “Blessed are the pure in heart; for they will see God” and “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; for they will be filled.” The eighth graders constructed a beautiful set of posters, which adorn the halls of the school, reminding all of the brilliance and diligence of this peaceful leader who taught a nation with such warmth and dignity that each of us can stand up for that in which we believe, without violence or hatred paving the way.