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Toward the end of Wednesday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest Capstone Event, Hormel Foods Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Jim Snee tasked this year’s three winners with important work going forward.

“The three of you are leaders,” he said. “Just because you are students doesn’t mean you can’t be leaders. Leadership comes from within. You have an obligation to be a better person. The time is always right to do what’s right.”

Rochester fifth-graders Elliana Henkin and Jaxon Gideo along with Bentonville, Arkansas’ Kira Stackhouse were this year’s winners of the program, presented by the company’s Black Leaders & Allies Advancing Cultural Knowledge (BLAACK).

It’s the 14th year of the event, which seeks to carry on the societal impact of Dr. Martin Luther King’s work toward a more inclusive society.

The competition was open this year to students in 11 different elementary schools from across the nation and for the first time this year, included students from Rochester. In all, 90 essays were submitted.

Taken at face value, the essay competition is a broad and expansive view of the power each of us has in making the world a better place.

“It reminds us that inclusion is not just a word, but an action,” said BLAACK’s president, Cedric Moore, a senior customer executive for the company.

However, the contest takes on a much more important task of ensuring that youth are a part of that journey, something that isn’t lost on Moore.

It’s a hope that touches on everyone who wants to see a world of inclusion.

“That hope is validated so much by hearing the kids because we know the future is going to be different from hearing the stories they give,” Moore said after Wednesday’s event. “We know society is going to change off of what these kids are telling us and how they are standing up and being leaders within their communities and in their schools.”

Each of the three students read their winning essays, and each essay touched on those values the students learned from taking part in the project as well as getting to know King through their research.

In turn, that work was reflected in the oftentimes profound words of the students. Right from the beginning those tones of coming together were echoed throughout the Ray Live Learning Center at The Hormel Institute.

Stackhouse said that efforts to unite today are because of the efforts of King and those like him, but she also referred to her own mother’s immigration to America for a better life and how King’s efforts in part helped make that possible.

“It only could have happened because of people like Martin Luther King Jr.,” she said, quoting from her essay, adding that his courage and outreach, “inspire me to be a better person.”

Themes like these were echoed across the three student’s essays, which spoke of the personal impact Martin Luther King Jr. had on their lives and how they would like to see their lives go forward.

“He has taught me to speak up, use my voice, and how to never give up,” Henkin said. “It has taught me that if you give back hate, it’s never going to go away. Hatred may never go away for some people, but we can’t change that. The best we can do is to fight back with love and compassion.”

For Gideo, the idea of what King’s work accomplished has better helped him understand the differences of those around him and to celebrate them for who they are and not the color of their skin.

“Dr. King taught me, we need to treat others with kindness and respect,” he read. “If I see a friend or classmate being bullied or disrespected in school, I try to remember Dr. King’s example and stand up for him.”

These kinds of examples from the fifth graders who are tackling a difficult subject through their essays is an important part of what the essay contest is hoping to achieve.

Moore said that it’s important for adults to hear this type of understanding from the younger generation because it will eventually be their world and they will be the change-makers.

“The whole idea of not judging people by looks, but more from that character aspect,” Moore said. “It’s great to hear the stories from the students and how they deal with that today in their classrooms and in their schools.”

“It’s about inclusion and that’s what I see in the next generation coming up,” he continued. “More of an inclusive environment and they are shaping that.”

Essays of the three winners

Elliana Henkin
Martin Luther King Jr. Means So Much to Me!
Dr. King means so much to me! He has taught me how to speak up, use my voice, and how to never give up. When he said, “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward” it inspires me so much to never give up and keep reaching for the goal. Dr. King has also taught me that, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” It has taught me that if you give back hate, it’s never going to go away. Hatred may never go away for some people but we can’t change that. The best we can do is to fight back with love and compassion.

Dr. King was one of the pillars that made our country great! His vision
of freedom, and how we can all live in a world without discrimination and without racism is inspiring. He is someone who wanted to achieve the importance of everyone being treated equally. If he didn’t stand up and have his voice heard, our nation would be way different and possibly still be crippled with racism. When I think of Dr. King, I think about the impact of his leadership and how he was able to change the nation with his voice.

Dr. King has affected my life so much! One of my best friends is black, and she means so much to me. When I make a friend, their skin color does not matter to me. I love my best friend’s character; she is kind, sweet, energetic, and so fun to be around. There should be no conflict between people because they have different color skin. Unfortunately, sometimes if a black and white person are fighting, the white person sometimes goes into how they’re a different skin color and therefore, more deserving. It’s still going on today and it’s not okay. The difference of our skin color should not mean anyone is better than or less than anyone else.

Someone who is also black is Simone Biles, and she inspires me so much!
And no one is judging her for her skin color but that should be for every other black person. Black people should not have to be good at something or have their name out there to be treated correctly. Simone Biles is the best gymnast in the world and I could not imagine the difference if she was not here. She inspires me every day to think positive thoughts and to try my best, and, as a gymnast myself, no one else motivates me like she does. I am so thankful for these people being here and inspiring me every day, no matter their skin color.

I want to carry Dr. King’s dream forward by using a big bold voice every day and standing up for those who don’t have that voice to help them out. I can do this no matter their skin color, and overall, just carry Dr. King’s dream forward. I support the idea that you should not judge a book by its cover, just like you should not judge a person by what they look like. We should never judge someone based on their skin color. I want to actively work on building a more inclusive society across race, gender, religious beliefs, sexuality, and overall appearance. I am dedicated to treating everyone with respect and dignity, regardless of their background. I stand for equality!
Dr. King spoke up to try to stop racism and create equality in this country, and he was very impactful. This said, there continues to be threads of white supremacy in our country today. It is extremely important that the young minds in America continue to reflect on the extraordinary action that Dr. King took and realize how important it is to uphold the remarkable vision that Dr. King had for our country. Our race does not define us. Our skin color does not define us. Our religious beliefs do not define us. Our sexuality does not define us. Our gender does not define us.

What does define us is our character and how this country should be run with kindness, understanding, compassion, and equality.

Kira Stackhouse

What Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. means to me 

Martin Luther King Jr has had a big impact on a lot of lives. Martin Luther King has also inspired many people to be just as amazing as him. Even though he has inspired so many lives I would like to talk about one life in particular. That life is mine. My mother is an immigrant. She came from overseas to pursue her dream and give me and my sister a better life and more opportunities. It only could have happened because of people like Martin Luther King Jr. 

Martin Luther King Jr’s impact on society has been very powerful. Martin Luther King Jr has also helped many lives which makes me see him as a symbol of hope and peace. His courage and protesting for others’ rights inspire me to be a better person. Martin Luther King Jr’s ideal vision of this world is where people are judged by their character, not their skin color which is a reason why he was so selfless because he didn’t wish for a world where he had unlimited power but a world where there was peace. When Martin Luther King Jr performed his famous speech “I Have a Dream” it inspired many others. 

Because of Martin Luther King Jr, so many more children from around the world have opportunities to achieve their dreams and go to school and college in the US based on their knowledge, not their race. It comes to my mind that when he was little he was separated from his best friend because of schools supporting racial segregation. 

Martin Luther King Jr. has impacted our society and me so much. His effort to make this world a better place truly has made a difference in our community. I will never be able to meet him in person, but he will always be a very important person to me and so many others.

Jaxon Gideo
What Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Means to Me

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a hero to me because he showed me how to be strong, brave, and to stand up for what is right. Dr. King worked hard and selflessly to treat everyone with respect and fairness, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Dr. King’s message of love and peace is something that everyone should remember and follow.

I am inspired by Dr. King’s famous speech, “I Have a Dream” because it taught me to
accept friends no matter their differences. Dr. King taught me we need to treat others with kindness and respect. If I see a friend or classmate being bullied or disrespected in school, I try to remember Dr. King’s example and stand up for them.

I admire Dr. King because he believed in solving problems without using violence. Dr.
King taught me that we can come together to use our voices to share our feelings and have peaceful talks with one another to help solve problems that make this world a better place. I
Iearned that If I disagree with a friend, I talk to them calmly instead of getting angry. That is what Dr. King would want me to do.

Dr. King dreamed of a future where everyone got along. I am hopeful we can make that dream a reality if we believe in each other and we work together. I want to be like Dr. King, and I try to be friendly to everyone, no matter how different we are. I try to include everyone, and make sure they feel respected and appreciated.

In conclusion, Dr. King’s legacy inspires me to be brave and to stand up for my beliefs. Even when it is difficult. Dr. King dreamed that everyone should be treated fairly and to really change the world you must be kind, patient, and respect others. His life and messages show me that dreams can come true if we believe in them and to not give up on those dreams, even when things get tough. He encourages me to dream big, and I can make this world a better place by being in it and standing up for what is right.