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What is YOUR Life's

Bluepri nt?Dr. King offersiife-cbanging adviceto teens in thisinspirational speech.

Martin Luther King Jr. deliveredsome of the most famous, most movingspeeches in American history. Hisbest-known speeches were given on anationai stage, about nationai issues.But this speech is different.

Here, read a speech in whichDr. King speaks directiy to teensjust iike you. He gave the speech toteens at Barratt Junior High Schooi inPhiladelphia on October 26, 1967—lessthan six months before Dr. King wasassassinated.

I want to ask you a question: What is in yourlife's blueprint? This is a cruciai period in yourlives. What you do and decide now at this age coulddetermine which way your life shall go. Whena building is constructed, an architect draws ablueprint. That blueprint serves as the guide forthose who are to build the building. A building is

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not well constructed without agood, solid blueprint.

Each of you is in the processof building the structure ofyour lives. The question iswhether you have a proper,solid blueprint.

I want to suggest some ofthe things that should be in yourlife's blueprint. Number one inyour life's blueprint should be adeep belief in your own dignity

and your own worth. Don't allowanybody to make you feel thatyou are nobody. Always feel thatyou count. Always feel that youhave worth.

Secondly, in your life'sblueprint, you must havethe determination to achieveexcellence in all yourendeavors. You're going tobe deciding what you will do inlife—what your life's work will

••Don'tallowanybody tomake youfeel thatyou arenobody.Alwaysfeel thatyou count.Alwaysfeel thatyou haveworth. • •

be. Once you have decided whatit will be, set out to do it, and todo it well.

And I say to you, my youngfriends, that doors are openingto each of you—doors ofopportunities that were not opento your mothers and fathers. Thegreat challenge facing you is tobe ready to enter these doors asthey open.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the

WORD WORKOUTcru»cial: very important I de»tefmine: affect, decide I con«struct*ed: built, put togetherstruc'ture: building I dig•ni»ty: self-respect, pride I en•deav»ors: actions

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great writer, said that if a mancan write a better book or preacha better sermon or make a bettermousetrap than his neighbor,even if he builds his house in thewoods, the world will make abeaten path to his door.

That hasn't always beentrue—but it will become moreand more true, and so I urgeyou to study hard, to bum themidnight oil. I say to you, don'tdrop out of school. I understandall of the sociological reasonswhy we often drop out of school,but I urge you in spite of yourfinancial problems, in spite ofthe situation that you're forced tolive—stay in school.

And when you discover*what you are going to be in'your life, set out to do it as ifGod Almighty called you at thisparticular moment in history todo it. Do that job so well that theliving, the dead, or the unbomcouldn't do it any better.

If you're going to be a streetsweeper, sweep streets likeMichelangelo painted pictures.Sweep streets like Beethovencomposed music. Sweep streetslike Shakespeare wrote poetry.Sweep streets so well that all thehosts of heaven and earth willhave to pause and say: Here liveda great street sweeper.

If you can't be a pine on the

top of the hill, be a shrub in thevalley. But be the best little shrubon the side of the hill. For it isn'tby size that you win or fail. Bethe best of whatever you are.

Finally, in your life'sblueprint, there must be acommitment to beauty, love,and justice. Don't allow anybodyto pull you low enough to makeyou hate them. Don't allowanybody to cause you to loseyour self-respect to the point thatyou do not struggle for justice.

Hov/ever young you are, youhave a responsibility to seek tomake life b-tter for everybody. Andso you must be involved in thestruggle for fieedom and justice. •

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER: MAIN IDEAIn this speech, Dr. King inspires teens to make positive changes in their lives. In the body of the

speech, he emphasizes ways in which teens can do this. What kind of support does he present?iUsethe main idea organizer below to examine how Martin Luther King Jr. supports his point. '

Title: "What Is Your Life's Blueprint?"

Main idea: Have a positive plan for your future and work hardevery day to achieve your dreams.

Detail #1 Detaii #2 Detail #3

Conciusion:

WORD WORKOUTser»mon: lecture. Speech I urge: encourage or persuade I so*ci»o«lo9«i»cai: about acommunity I com•mit^ment: loyalty, caring I jus*tice: fairness

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