CELEBRATING OUR STUDENT AUTHORS

(and their favorite books!)

Each year KIPP Newark invites students from across our schools to submit entries to our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Contest. We’re always blown away by their work, and this year’s entries were no exception.

And because we know your household might be seeking great summer reads, we’ve asked each student author to share their favorite books with you. Dive into their work below!

The fi ght for racial equity and social injustice is the responsibility of kids who look like me. It is kids who look like me who will bring change to the world.

I have a dream that kids who look like me will one day be able to dream, dream big! I have a dream that kids who look like me will one day be able to walk the streets with a hoodie and a pack of skittles—and not be gunned down like Trayvon Martin.

I have a dream that kids who look like me will be able to play outside of the recreation center with a toy gun and not be shot like Tamir Rice. I have a dream that one day kids who look like me won’t have their homes raided like Breonna Taylor.

I have a dream that one day kids who look like me won’t be wrestled to the ground with a knee on their neck begging to live like George Floyd. I have a dream that kids who look like me will one day protest, march, organize and demand that justice be served.

One day, one day soon, kids who look like me will become Teachers, Military Personnel, Doctors, Scientist, Judges, Police Offi cers, Lawyers, Entrepreneurs, Chefs, Athletes, Actors, Humanitarians, Engineers, and President without the fear of being judged or mistreated because of the color of their skin. Thank you.

Kids Who Look Like Me Speech

BY CARTER ANDERSON 4th Grade, KIPP SPARK Academy

This speech was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream Speech’ and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Carter’s Book Recommendations: I recommend the Captain Underpants series and the Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey. I like his books, because he makes his characters funny and authentic— especially the character AJ in Captain Underpants. I love how AJ sounds like a real person you might meet! I also like any book by author Dan Gutman.

BY CAMERYN JACKSON 6th Grade, KIPP Rise Academy

Soon, one memorable day shall come It may bring relief and happiness to our people, but it can also bring hatred and anger to some

We put our fi sts up and scream BLACK LIVES MATTER But they only hear the fi rst fi ve letters

Soon, we will live and cherish one another this war will fi nally end for the greater good, taking a stand for our freedom and happiness

We’ve done so much for all our hearts to connect and touch The feeling of Justice for our people Will soon fi nally come

Soon, we will be free, making our wonderful Wishing dreams come true Hoping it all ends soon, standing straight And 2020 has broke us all but 2021 has come to save us once and for all

It’s a new year for us to fi x our mistakes from the last We’ll leave the past behind In the back, tired of prayer at night Hoping someone saves from this dark time

Soon, we will have JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Courtney’s Book Recommendation: I recommend The Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renée Russell to anyone looking for a good book to read this summer. The series is about the high school life of Nikki J. Maxwell. Nikki writes a diary telling all of the things that are happening in her high school. She calls herself a dork, even though I don’t think she’s a dork! There are really funny pictures to describe her experiences throughout the books.

Cameryn’s Book Recommendation: A book I highly recommend is Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Olugbala Shakur. Shakur, a social activist and former member of the BLA (Black Liberation Army) was sentenced to fi rst-degree murder of a State Trooper in 1973, serving two years in prison where she delivered her daughter, Kakuya Shakur. After reading this book, as a Black woman, I felt a sense of determination and strength. I could only imagine how hard it must've been for Shakur trying to survive during a racist and sexist time in history.

A Refl ection

BY COURTNEY MARCHAN

3rd Grade, KIPP Seek Academy

My opinion about racial equity is not taken from a single speech or one book. When I think about racial equity and social justice, my opinion comes from many places. It is from what I watch on the news. It is from what my mom tells me or what my dad, my Glama and Papa tell me.

I am 8 years old and Black and brown people have been treated unfairly all of my life. They’ve been treated unfairly my parents’ whole lives and my grandparents, too. Unfair is a word I know, but it is not big enough to describe how Black and brown people have been treated. It is not big enough to describe what happened to Breonna Taylor or Martin Luther King Jr., or Rosa Parks.

After reading and watching the videos I have learned that I cannot stop talking about the importance of treating people equally. I have to keep using my voice and speaking up about what is fair and unfair. Things have gotten better since Glama and Papa were little, but we have a lot of work to do in this country. I’m hoping that our new President and Vice President will make a diff erence, because we need more people to be strong and speak out about Black lives and racism and equality in our country.

For me, I’m going to keep speaking up, keep being strong, and keep encouraging my friends, family, and community to do the same. We have to keep fi ghting for justice and fair treatment until we get our way and until we make things right.