Martin Luther King III spreads his father's message of peace

Growing up, there were times Martin Luther King III didn't tell people who his father was, not wanting either the harassment or the special treatment that it could bring.

But these days the son of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. carries the name with confidence knowing he is spreading the message of freedom, justice and equality his father died for.

"Watching my father and mother as they traveled around our nation and world, I was inspired by their example," King III said. "My dad and mother devoted their lives to human rights to try ... to make the world a better place for all God's children."

King III brought his family's message to students from Neuqua and Waubonsie Valley and Naperville North and Central high schools on Wednesday as part of the ThinkGlobal Arts Foundation's Celebration of Peace.

"I think this is a great opportunity especially in the state this country's in, I think peace is so welcome and it's needed so I'm hoping they can take this and really put it into action." said Aubrey Smith, adviser of Neuqua's Black Student Alliance.

King III, 51, is president and CEO of the Realizing the Dream Inc. nonprofit group that trains people in conflict resolution, runs youth leadership programs and encourages community and economic development. He has also been a past president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and started the Second Generation Global Peace Initiative

King III was just 10 when his father died in 1968 and said it was a sacrifice the family had to bear.

"But the nation gained a message and a movement and an understanding," he said. "If it could have been done differently, of course no one wants to lose a loved one. No one. And I am certainly in that category but intellectually I understand what happened after all these years."

King said he wishes he could have had an adult conversation with his father and that he could have been alive to see the history being made in Barack Obama's candidacy for president.

But no matter who wins the presidency, he said, everyone will have to pitch in to make the country better by addressing issues like unemployment, homelessness and lack of health care.

"We may not truly totally become great until we address these issues," he said. "We may be all right individually and that's OK, that's good. But what are we collectively as a nation? A nation is only as strong as its weakest link ... so until we shore up the areas of weakness, our nation cannot totally fulfill its true promise."

He told students that if his father had used violence he likely would have been killed even earlier and ended up just a footnote in the history books. He reminded them they are future leaders.

"Our world is getting smaller and smaller every day," King III said. "We're engaged in wars that we always think that since we are so mighty and powerful in terms of weaponry that we can just go in and destroy people. Maybe that philosophy doesn't work anymore. Maybe we have to look for a new ways to resolve conflicts."

The elder King had six steps for nonviolence - gather information, educate the public, encourage people to have personal commitment, negotiate, direct action and reconciliation.

"Dad always used to say violence is the language of the unheard and somehow we have to find a way to include everyone, make everyone part of the process," King III said.

Students said they enjoyed having the chance to hear King III speak.

"It was inspiring to hear especially considering the fact that he had a father who inspired him and hearing him inspired us in the same way by explaining nonviolence and peaceful protest," Neuqua senior B.J. White said.

Olivia Suber, also a Neuqua senior, said students need to realize they can be active in society and that racism is still a problem.

"It's all about educating yourself and increasing the awareness, making sure you're doing everything possible to make a difference if you actually care about the issue enough," she said. "So many of us will say 'oh that's wrong' but don't do anything about it. It's so important we realize we can make a difference."