Margaret River school welcomes Martin Luther King III | Photos, Video

The students of the Margaret River Independent School enjoyed an inspirational afternoon discussing social change, peace and the ongoing message of the late Dr Martin Luther King on Friday. 

Human rights advocate and eldest son of Dr King, Martin Luther King III was joined by his wife Arndrea and 9 year old daughter Yolanda at the school, where Mr King spoke to the students, teachers and staff about his desire to continue the work of his father.

“My wife and daughter and I have come to Margaret River because of our very very special friends,” Mr King told the captivated young locals, before introducing Convic managing director Simon Oxenham and wife Tina.

“Simon is from Australia, and they have a company that builds skateparks, and there is a beautiful skatepark down by the Shire building.”

Mr King said he had been invited by the Oxenhams to visit Australia after a friendship developed between the two families.

“They told us that the original skate park, the first one that they built, would be re-opened and we said ‘we’ll come!’”

Delving into the family’s rich history of activism, Mr King explained to the children the story of his father, including the tragic 1968 assassination of Dr King, as well as the work carried out by his mother, Coretta Scott King.

Mr King also spoke of his desire to effect social change in his home country of the United States, explaining the nature of racism and why it is important for young people to lead the way when advocating against violence and militarisation.

Taking questions from the young audience, including a couple of curly queries about US President Donald Trump, Mr King said the dreams held by the MRIS students were not much different than the dreams of children all around the world.

“As you get older, you’re going to hear a speech in your studies called ‘I Have A Dream’,” he said.

“That speech talks about how we create a better world so that freedom and justice and equality is real for all people.

“What is interesting about your dreams is that they can all become true – well, maybe one or two may be difficult,” he joked, referring to one students’ desire to see a dragon “in real life”.

“We can stop littering, we can have a loving world, we can help our environment, we can treat our fellow humans with respect and honour… and yes, you could get a horse, and you could get more guinea pigs!”

Mr King then introduced his daughter Yolanda, who brought the children to their feet and led them in a stirring declaration of intent.

“Will you please repeat these words after me?” Yolanda asked the students.

“Spread the word, have you heard? All across the nation we are going to be a great generation.”

As the young locals repeated the statement, Yolanda asked them to repeat it again, each time more emphatically than the last, echoing the moment earlier in 2018 when she led the same chant in front of more than 200,000 people at the March for our Lives Rally in Washington DC.

Following the presentation, school principal Wendy Roediger made an emotional presentation to Mr King, thanking the family and the Convic representatives for inspiring the students with their words and actions.

The group then took a student-guided tour of the Nyindamurra Nature Trail, located on the campus, where the VIP guests learned about the indigenous seasons, traditional uses for plants found in the South West and about the towering Marri, Karri and Jarrah trees surrounding the school.

A number of fallen trees along the trail gave the tour an adventurous edge, the visitors needing to clamber over branches and tree trunks to finish the tour, which Ms Roediger said “really made this an authentic Aussie bush walk.”

Mr Oxenham said he was looking forward to the opening of the skate park on Sunday, where the King family would join the Convic crew to celebrate with the Margaret River community.

“For me there is a real emotional tie to this particular skate park,” he said.

“I came to Margaret River in the early 90s and the Margaret River park was the first one we ever built, so to be able to come back and re-create it, make it bigger and better, and to see the good that the facility has done in the community is really, really special for us.”

The Margaret River Skate Park will be officially opened on Sunday June 3 at a celebration which will feature live music, skate competitions, welcome to country and addresses from Mr King, Mr Oxenham and shire president Pam Townshend, as well as activities all day for all ages.

For more information on the event, click here.