Cedarcrest Middle School sixth-grade social studies teacher Marilyn Roberts said that to her students when they told her they didn’t believe in King’s nonviolent message.

Roberts, who has taught since 1999, said the past five years or so more students seem to think that way.

“They don’t buy into it,” she said of King’s passivity. “They think nonviolence is stupid” and think the more-aggressive style of folks like Malcolm X were more effective. It’s not that they don’t respect King, “they just don’t honor what he stood for.”

To combat that, she invited County Executive John Lovick to speak at the school’s MLK assembly Jan. 14. She said she asked Lovick to come because he was raised in the deep South and “it took some time before he came around to Dr. King’s methods.”

Another part of the assembly was a “We shall overcome” video.

“A lot of the students, and their parents, don’t have much knowledge of MLK, other than the ‘I have a dream,’ speech,” she said.

In his talk, Lovick said, “Every time I see that video I cry.” He recalled how he was a senior in high school in Louisiana when King was assassinated.

Lovick said if King were alive today he would give the students this advice:

• Stay in school. Get a better education and become the leaders of tomorrow. “When I was growing up in Louisiana I was always told I’d be nothing without an education.”

• Respect others, but start with respecting yourself. Girls should demand that boys open the door for them.

• Don’t give up.

• Lose the hate.

If King were alive today, what would he say to help us? Lovick asked, then responded, “Live in peace and harmony.”

Lovick said he grew up with bitterness. He didn’t know his dad and lived in extreme poverty.

He said there seems to be a lot of hate in the world, pointing to the riots in Ferguson, Mo., and elsewhere. But hate is a wasted emotion.

“Our nation was founded in honor, respect and love. To hate anyone is a burden too much to bear,” Lovick quoted King as saying. He added that hate ages people and robs them of energy.

King would be upbeat if he were at the assembly, Lovick said, adding MLK would turn 86 on Jan. 15. He would be happy because of the “beautiful, diverse group of students.”

Associated Student Body adviser Greg Blake picked up on that theme when he talked about the Joint Base Lewis McChord ensemble Bulls Eye Brass Band that performed songs like “Happy” at the assembly.

“The ethnicity of the band” would not have been possible without the work of King, Blake said. “This week reflect, and think, before you do.”

To help her students further understand the time period of King, Roberts talked about how no blacks played pro football. Could you imagine the Seahawks with no black players?

“They couldn’t fathom it,” she said.

Roberts said while blacks and other minorities have worked hard for equality, it took “overwhelming support of white voters in America” to pass civil rights legislation.