Laren Robinson woke up Monday morning not knowing what to say about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"I started reading through scripture and came across the story of how the Israelites were wandering through the desert and got scared," said Laren, a senior at South County Secondary and member of the Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax Station. "When thinking about Dr. King, I started wondering, how did he do it? He was just one man and he probably asked God, 'why me?'" she said.
Sponsored by the church's youth ministry, a prayer breakfast and discussion brought together more than 100 children, teenagers and parents to consider the faith, determination and importance of King's life. It was also a time for the young leaders of the church to call their peers to action.
"As I look at our youth, I have to wonder where our faith has gone," Laren said. "My grandmother said, back then [during the Civil Rights movement], they would sing hymns and keep pushing forward. She told me you have to have faith in the little things before you can have faith in the big things. Without faith, we wouldn't be where we are today."
Laren asked why many African Americans, both young and old, continue to "enslave each other" with violence when they should be redirecting their efforts outward, to help their communities.
"I challenge you to remember where you come from. God set us free, you need to remember that and keep that in your hearts," she said.
Another student, Trae Savage, said he often didn't try hard in school because he was, in a way, expected to fail.
"Teachers did not want to put up with me, they didn't want to send me to time out or detention because that's what was expected of a black male student," he said.
SUCH LOW EXPECTATIONS, whether from teachers or family members, detract from the struggle of Civil Rights-era protesters, who helped to ensure that African American students had the right to go to public schools and receive an education, Trae said.
"You need to know the price that was paid for us to have the chance to get an education," he said. "It goes back to Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement. It's all about education, you have to know what you're going to do and get it together."
Working together, students can keep King's legacy and dream of equality and a more peaceful, productive society alive, Trae said.
For the second year, Youth Pastor Alan Harris has been bringing students together to remind them the importance of King's teachings and their obligation to keep working toward his goals.
"We want to make sure the youth and younger children don't think of this as just another day off," Harris said. "If they don't, they'll begin to take for granted some of the things they were born in to, like being able to vote and some of the colleges they're applying to attend. Our forefathers had to fight for these rights and privileges, a lot of people gave their lives for them.
While breakfast was being served, a taped TV documentary on King played in the background. Harris said the documentary and other recordings of King's speeches had been played during the morning as a reminder of his powerful words.
Marshal Ausberry, minister at the church, said the congregation has been commemorating King's birthday for all of its 18 years.
"If we don't, others won't as well and we could easily forget his legacy," said Ausberry, of his church's program. "So many things we enjoy today came at a deep, deep price."
Ruby DeMesme said a responsibility remains to keep King's messages alive through faith communities.
"Dr. King's was a selfless service, something that this country needs to perform so we can achieve the greatness we desire by working together," she said.
Referring to a recently-published survey, Woodson High School physics teacher Charles Griffin said that only 53 percent of high school students passed a test given about King. Many of the students linked his work with the end of slavery, among other things.
"We have to remind our children what happened," he said. "We have to keep refreshing."
The planned memorial to King, the ground for which was recently broken on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will be an important educational tool, Griffin said.
"If you have a history, you have to memorialize it or it gets lost," he said. "We have books and videos now, but we need an edifice. With this memorial, people will be able to look at it and ask questions."