Although racial inequality has existed ever since the United States was founded, I am grateful to be part of a generation that is maturing to look beyond someone’s color. Such improvement must be attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who is a hero to many. In the sixties, he catalyzed the Civil Rights movement that sought to bring equality to African-Americans.

As Martin Luther King Day approached, I sought a way to encourage Kent students to participate in a discussion about the status of race relations in the United States. It soon occurred to me that many people digest racial information through satire, such as The Colbert Report. With this in mind, I sent out an email asking students and teachers to take time out of their lunch block to answer an “unknown question” on camera.

The eighteen participants started by stating their name. Then, without any preparation, they were put on the spot to answer a question: “who is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?” Although many responded that he was a Civil Rights leader, some analyzed Dr. King’s words according to today’s lifestyle. Scott Lubin ’17 explained that Martin Luther King “really changed the way people, in the modern day, look at each other.” Similar answers proved that even though student may not know every details of the activist’s life, everyone was aware of his influence on today’s racial standpoint.

I created such a video because I wanted to test how well Kent students and teachers knew Dr. King. Although many of us were taught about the Civil Rights movement, I wanted to figure out what actually stuck with each of us.

Bringing technology and education together is a great way to interest students because no one enjoys robotically watching a PowerPoint. Many would prefer to watch their peers sharing their thoughts in front of a camera. My ultimate dream for this video, therefore, was to educate my peers about Martin Luther King Jr. in an entertaining, yet scholarly way.