So often when young people are asked to discussed their views, feelings and ideas about Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. they are stumped. What do say about someone who rose to fame before the internet, before CNN and in many cases even before some of their parents were born. So get students beyond the boundaries of the "I Have A Dream" speech, I asked them to describe what they think about MLK as a math equation. This is how they responded we would love to know which equation you think is the best.
Malcolm X + MLK+ President Obama (Alexis Jones)
Peace X Freedom+ MLK ((Dionni Michaels)
Freedom + Justice+ MLK (Richard Short)
MLK+ Speech X Freedom X Justice (Andre Johnson)
Freedom X Freedom= MLK (Jeremiah Grier)
Peace/Justice + Happiness/Freedom X Power+ MLK (Kheilah)
Speech + Freedom + Obama=MLK (Shaniqua Baker)
Unity x Equality x=MLK (Erica Buckhanan)
Nonviolence x Justice/Freedom of Speech x Unity x Peace = MLK (China Flowers)
Racism + Freedom/Hatred-Anger+ Freedom Riders x Love + Human Rights-Segreation= MLK (Ashton Saunders)
Justice/Injustice=MLK (Anonomous)
Non-violence x Marching + Freedom= MLK
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm abdicating any responsibility to judge these equations - each one made me *think*, which is my favorite state of being. For example, several of the equations have no 'equals sign,' which means that they aren't really equations, but open possibilities. In algebra, when you have a variable, or letter standing for a value you don't yet know, it evokes curiosity, the need to know, a list of the possibilities. In Alexis', Andre's, Richard's, Dionni's equations, the end result of the calculations is a variable - the possibilities are endless.
ReplyDeleteThe equations with division signs provoked thought, too. Anonymous's equation, Justice/Injustice = MLK, is especially interesting in this light. A mainstream view of MLK might be Justice - Injustice = MLK -- that is, take the justice, take all the injustice out of it, and there you have MLK. But surely he himself would not have characterized himself as a totally good, absolutely just man. Dividing Justice by Injustice suggests to me an ongoing and everpresent interaction between the two - we cannot just erase injustice and be done with it. Injustice is always part of Justice - we can't understand the latter without the former, yet we must always be struggling *toward* Justice while recognizing Injustice when we meet it.
Thanks for making me think on a snow day afternoon at home!
Best,
Dr. Mary