Second graders at The Leadership School are still mastering spelling words and sentence structure. But when asked to finish one of the most famous lines in American history — “I have a dream that …” — their answers carried striking emotional weight.
For a Black History Month project, second-grade English language arts teacher Yolanda Jackson asked her students to complete Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic phrase in their own words. Many responses reflected fears far beyond their years: “Stop shooting guns in neighborhoods.” “I wish all the killings would stop.”
Jackson, who has taught second grade throughout her 10-year career, said Black history is often minimized in early elementary classrooms and believes lessons should feel both engaging and relevant.
Still, she was not prepared for the gravity of some of her students’ dreams.
“I was in awe about some of the responses,” Jackson said. “My students deal with a lot of trauma.”
She introduced the assignment shortly after winter break, when many children said they had heard gunfire during New Year’s celebrations. The most common theme in their writing was a wish for neighborhood shootings to end. Some students shared that when they hear gunshots, they drop to the floor.
Listening to her students’ experiences prompted Jackson to reflect on her own childhood.
“I started to think about the things I heard and saw — and to be honest, it’s gotten worse over the last 30 years,” she said. “These situations really impact their lives.”
Eight-year-old Mar’Layah Pittman wrote, “I wish people didn’t steal cars,” recalling the anger and sadness she felt after her mother’s car was taken. She even proposed a solution: adults should install cameras to deter theft.
Second graders are expected to have simple dreams. For these students, they were heavy.