Although the minority population of Plainedge is relatively small, we shouldn't let that get in the way of our celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the lessons we draw from it for people of all skin tones, nationalities and religions.

Dr. King was struck down more than 30 years ago and for today's children, he is often just a name and a picture in a history book. But those who remember Dr. King and his influence on American life have an obligation to pass along this remarkable man's beliefs and spirit.

At a time when terrorists with their bombs and sabotage cast a long, dark shadow across the landscape, it's important to remember that a central part of Dr. King's belief was non-violence. When he was arrested for violating some of the Jim Crow laws of the American South, he did not argue that he should escape punishment because the laws were unfair, or racist or illegal.

He accepted his punishment, including many incidents of imprisonment, so that his sacrifice could be an example for all of his commitment and that of his followers. Like his spiritual mentor, Mahatma Gandhi in India, Dr. King helped bring about revolutionary change peacefully.

Perhaps most important, Dr. King gave confidence and inspiration to a people who for too long had neither. He demonstrated the powerful effects of determination when people gathered in groups to work for the common good, to fight injustice and intolerance. He inspired a generation to stand up in dignity against oppression in all of its forms.

He showed that one motivated dreamer could alter the course of a nation. That's something we teach every day: individuals can make a difference.

The recent incidents involving Senator Trent Lott and the Latino immigrants who gather in Farmingville and other Long Island communities to find work and the reaction of some people to these incidents reminds us that although tremendous progress has been made in the last 30 years, the lessons of Dr. King are just as relevant in 2003 as they were in 1968.

It's fitting also that we remember Dr. King's words about his own children and our own. "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Unfortunately, we are not yet in that world that Dr. King dreamed of, but we are closer to it than he could have imagined. Martin Luther King Jr. day reminds us of the journey that remains.

Laura Pokorny, president

Plainedge Federation of Teachers