I first saw Dr. King at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.  I was one of over 500,000 who were on the Capital Mall that hot day in Washington, D.C.  The atmosphere was charged with feelings of solidarity and optimism.  Dr. King took the podium, and after the first sentence of his “I Have a Dream” speech, the entire crowd became silent.

I relate my experiences in the 1960s civil rights movement to students in a variety of educational settings. I have presented to elementary, middle school, and high school students, as well as to community colleges and universities, both undergraduate and graduate classes. My program of presentations has earned me the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award from the National Education Association at their 2019 meeting in Houston, Texas. So far, no one has complained or suggested that I am teaching something called Critical Race Theory.