Reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in La Ceiba – from Jake Pinkston on teaching mission in Honduras

Finals week has arrived for the second term, which means I can finally take a deep breath. I was much more prepared this time around for the pre-finals onslaught. Even so, the race to finish chapters, put together study packets, chase down the students who were missing assignments, and then grade the subsequent deluge of labs, worksheets and test corrections that were the reward for my efforts made it a long week. Now that I have closed grades, things are a lot calmer. Tomorrow I give my four of my five science finals then have the rest of the week to plug in final grades and prepare for the next term. It is all half days this week so I should have plenty of time to recharge. Then I get to start all over again for round three. Still got plenty left in the tank.

Because today the secondary school had math and social studies exams all morning, on Friday the whole school met for an afternoon assembly celebrating the life a work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While he is not part of the pantheon of great Honduran leaders, Veronica and other faculty felt it important to recognize the accomplishments and impact of the youngest Nobel Peace Price Laureate. Each class from the primary school gave a presentation in the form of a skit, poem or song. The ninth grade class, led by Ms. Betty, ended the ceremony by reading Dr. King’s “I have a dream…” speech. I was tapped at last minute to be the MC so that the teacher organizing the event would be able to marshal her troops more effectively. Besides giving the opening prayer and introducing the groups, my main task was to make sure the children had a microphone in front of them so everyone could hear so I stayed busy. At the end, a box was passed around raising money for the victims in Haiti and many students enthusiastically stuffed in some of their after-school snack money. Amazing.

The presentation was short and simple, but I found it very powerful. Hearing the words of Dr. King, which I have heard many times in my life, coming from the mouths of student who were not American, most of whom had never even seen America but knew first hand the weight of their words gave the speech a whole new meaning. These children know what it means to be oppressed, to be overlooked, ignored, and manipulated. These children know how it feels to live a life where safety is a tenuous hope, never a guarantee. Dr. King speaks for them.

Honduras is the poorest country in Central America. Its massive disparity in wealth distribution leaves a tiny few in power and the masses picking at the scraps. The politicians line their pockets with aid money while the police demand bribes for the simplest of services. Basic infrastructure is crumbling and security worsens as more desperate people looking to make a living get involved in one of the only growing job fields, drug trafficking. The children are extremely bright. They see parallels the between their lives and the lives of minorities living in the United States.

Many of the students are able to come to Holy Trinity because they have family members working in the US, sending money back home. Many have not seen their parents in years because they are working in the country illegally and can never return. They know that if they go to the United States, they will enter a culture that often treats there ethnic group as second class citizens. Yet if you ask any child, they would go in a heartbeat, because the see so little to look forward to if they stay here. Already one of our 10th graders left for New Orleans and another is in the process of getting a visa. While this may benefit the student and family, it only continues the cycle, as the country’s best and brightest head for the doors instead of sticking around and pushing for change. It is hard to blame them. Change is often proposed, seldom accomplished, and can be a dangerous undertaking.

Through it all, the students remain positive. They are not bitter. They are not cynical. They are not defeated. The students continue to work hard because they believe there is a chance they will beat the odds. In my closing comments, I told them that 50 years later, Dr. King’s dream of peace, justice and equality is far from a reality. But it is still alive. It lives in them, in their daily interactions, in their minds, hearts and prayers. It lives because they want it to live. I challenged them not to just remember the dream but make it theirs to achieve: to focus to the possibilities of the future and not the failures of the past. Don’t wait for it to happen. Work toward it today. Work toward it tomorrow. Work toward it together.

Approaching the midpoint of my year, I have begun to reflect on my hopes and goals for my students. I came here with the hope of educating them in the way I was educated so that they might have the opportunity to further their studies, ideally in the United States. However, that goal has become secondary. I now feel that my true mission is to empower my students with the tools, knowledge, and most importantly the will to change their country. I want them to believe that it doesn’t have to be this way and they can be part of the solution. I am beginning to network with several members of the community to find ways to show the student specifically where they can fit into that puzzle, now and in the future. Hopefully I will be able to develop some projects for them for the final term. I want my students to take their American dreams and make them Honduran dreams. The drive for change has to come from within. I cannot do it for them but I will certainly give them all the fuel I can.

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.””
Martin Luther King, Jr. - 28 August 1963: Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.
Isaiah 40: 4-5