Citizen Tribune - Friday January 12, 2007
Residents gather, read historic speech
From Staff Reports
Thursday afternoon was an emotional time for a small
group at Davis Homes Public Library on Kennedy Circle
as volunteers stood in front of the library and read the
"I have a Dream" in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"I was shocked by the tears - my own as well as everyone
else's." said Teresa Lane, Morristown Housing Authority
Volunteer in Service to America. "This was too beautiful
not to do it again. We have been trying to do this for years.
We are going to make this a yearly event."
Each reader held a lighted candle while he or she read
a portion of the speech.
"The candle symbolizes the dream going on." Lane said.
"We are a public library and we are always trying to educate
the youth. Many of our younger patrons haven't heard his
speech." Lane said.
"We want them to make their dreams come true and continue
the dream because it's not over, it keeps going."
Morristown East student, Kirsten Berquist was the first to read.
"I wanted to learn more about what he said," said Berquist,
who has read the speech previously. "It's kinda like when
you listen to a song and then read the words, you understand
what it means."
Another reader, Dina Gillespie, became emotional as she read
a excerpt from Dr. King's speech.
"I'm biracial. I'm all of y'all," she said.
Gillespie, one of two minorities at the event, was diappointed
at the lack of minority representation.
"(Minorities) don't believe in the dream anymore, (whites)
believe in the dream more than we do," she said.
The youngest volunteer reader, Madison Thomas, 12, was overcome
as well.
"It was emotional," said Thomas, a seventh-grader at Lincoln
Heights Middle School.
"I don't see colors, I live in a biracial family.
There is no difference."
Davis Homes Public Library primarily serves residents of
Morristown Housing Authority. They average about 100 visitors
a week and 600 visitors a year, Lane said.
The library offers mentoring and after-school programs.
They also have board games, and nine computers - seven
with Internet access and two for games.
"We are a public library and we are open to anyone who wants
to utilize the facility," Lane said.
