Helm: A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture

The phrase “Beloved Community” was mentioned in many of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches. Dating all the way back to the 1800s, racism has been a difficult issue. Many places in the Midwest only had a handful of schools for African American students to attend. Schools that were open to all races weren’t around until the late 1900s. This had a negative effect on employment opportunities. The “Beloved Community” has changed both in school systems and larger communities.

There have been many African Americans who have made great achievements over the years. Three of them are, David Jones Peck, Britton Hammon, and George Poage. They have completed achievements in the following categories: science/medicine, literature/education, and sports. Peck was famous for being the first African American to graduate from a medical school in 1846. He also studied the medical field for two years before he graduated. Hammon was known for being the first African American to write an autobiography. He named the book, “A Narrative of the Uncommon Sufferings, and Surprising Deliverance of Britton Hammon, a Negro Man.” Poage was famous for being the first African American to win a medal in the Olympics. He ran track in the Olympics of 1904.

The first African American principal of Lincoln High School in Springfield, Missouri was William H. McAdams. McAdams was the principal for six years. He was born in Springfield on the seventh of September, 1866. McAdams was born in slavery and belonged to a Springfield resident named William McAdams. William H. McAdams learned to be a good worker, and was later freed by President Lincoln’s Proclamation. He then became a father of seven children, five of which went on to become teachers.

One of the goals I see for the next century would be supporting the homeless “Beloved Community” by giving them more places to stay. Our society could also work on new ways to ship food in to homeless shelters so they could at least get a decent meal every day. Another possibility I see for the next century would be better, well-paying jobs for the unemployed African American community. This would then open up many new jobs for a lot more people. The new jobs would then reduce the unemployment rate, which would then improve the overall quality of life for everyone.

In conclusion, the “Beloved Community” has made great contributions to our society. The increased opportunities for African Americans have impacted the community in positive ways. The contributions that they made are very important to today’s society. Pipkin’s connection with the “Beloved Community” is also very significant because it’s accepting to all races. Many African Americans both locally and nationally have contributed to education, literature, in addition to many other fields.

Wyatt Helm is one of three SPS students who won an annual essay contest in partnership with NAACP Springfield to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

About the MLK essay contest

The annual essay contest to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is sponsored by the NAACP Springfield for all middle school students in Springfield Public Schools. A committee of university students and faculty judged more than 100 essays to select the three top submissions. Winners were each awarded $50. This year’s focus: “2015: A Century of Black Life, History and Culture.”