Carroll Elementary celebrates Dr. King Day
By Jennifer Archibald Staff writer

Continuing the dream Roosevelt Johnson portrays Martin Luther King Jr. at a Carroll Elementary convocation. The inset shows Dr. King delivering a speech in Philadelphia in 1965. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald and inset photo courtesy of the Library of Congress, N.Y. World-Telegram & Sun Collection

Carroll Elementary had a convocation Monday in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

As one kindergartner marched in at the beginning of the program, he looked at the man on the stage and said, "It's Martin Luther King!"

"No it's not," his friend said. "He's dead. Someone shot him."

The man on the stage was Roosevelt Johnson of Detroit, Mich. In a program presented by Mobile Ed Productions, Johnson portrayed King at various stages of his life.

He reminded students that King was a great man. He was a civil rights leader and won the Nobel Peace Prize, but he started out as a child - like them.

"Each and every one of you have the chance to be a great person," Johnson said. "You can make it happen in your life." He cautioned the children to never, never let anyone tell them otherwise.

Johnson told the students to read and become educated, as King did.

He had the students to repeat, "Knowledge gives you power."

Johnson told about Dr. King's 127 arrests, a stabbing that almost killed him, and his assassination on April 4, 1968. He also talked about King's non-violent protest marches and his unrelenting efforts at stamping out racism and prejudice.

As he portrayed King as a young boy, the children laughed. Johnson became serious as he portrayed King as the eloquent and inspiring speaker who had a dream of equality among all men.