COLUMN: Having a dream, living a dream

In 1944, a 15-year-old student from Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta made his first public speech at the First African Baptist Church in Dublin.

The young man was participating in a statewide public speaking contest. His speech was about how the treatment of Blacks in America was not consistent with the U.S. Constitution.

He won the contest and went on to become one of the great orators of the 20th century and a champion of the Civil Rights movement.

His name was Martin Luther King Jr.

Three years ago, the city of Dublin commemorated the now-legendary speech by constructing a small park adjacent to the church, which is located on Telfair Street.

It is not far — just 34 miles south down U.S. 441 — from Telfair Street to Telfair County, where 56 years later a young man, also 15 years old, made his first public speech.

He preached from the pulpit of the Corinth CME Methodist Church in McRae. His sermon was about gratitude.

His name was Quinton Lampkin. Two years later, he became the first high school student from Georgia to be elected National Beta Club president. He made his acceptance speech at the convention in Nashville in front of more than 2,500 student delegates.

There would be many more speeches in the years that have followed, from his graduation commencement to being asked to speak at colleges, conferences and workshops. He has been behind podiums everywhere from Nashville to Chicago to California to London.

After serving as an intern at the White House in 2012, he spent three years working — Dr. King would approve — at the I Have a Dream Foundation in Washington, D.C.

He later founded Scholar Navigator, a New York-based education consulting firm that works with schools and community organizations to help students in college and in their careers.

And on Tuesday, he will return to the nation’s capital to start a new job with The Seed Foundation, which helps underserved high school students pursue their college goals using a public boarding school model.

Quinton will serve as the Seed Foundation’s director for college transition and success. He is excited about the challenge because, in many ways, it is a reflection of his own story. His “boarding school” was the home of his grandmother, Teressa Blackshear, who celebrated her 102nd birthday three weeks ago.

“This is a big moment because it mirrors my life and what my life journey has been,’’ he said. “There are some moments for parents where life can be challenging. And the challenges they face can create some internal barriers to parenting. It doesn’t mean they are bad people. It just means they have faced challenges they unfortunately were not able to overcome. It impacts their ability to support and care for their (child). Sometimes, those young people have to be placed in another home that can give them the tools to finish school and go on and create a life for themselves.

“My story is similar, so I am able to personally relate to that experience and the challenges of leaving your parents and wanting to be with them while trying to understand why you cannot.’’

Quinton was the youngest of 10 children. Growing up, there was instability in his family life. He was a troublemaker at school and had a few brushes with the law.

In middle school, he was a shy underachiever. But his teachers saw potential in him he did not see in himself. They were determined he would not fall through the cracks.

Teressa had 15 grandchildren. Social workers begged her to take in Quinton under her roof. At the time, she was in her 70s with significant health problems.

But she became his caretaker from the ninth grade until he left for college. Her strong influence and loving spirit rescued him.

He began making straight A’s. He served as class president all four years of high school. He was named drum major for Telfair County High’s marching band. He became youth minister at his church. And he helped support his grandmother by working at McDonald’s.

His mother, Charlene Lampkin, died the week before Christmas. She was 70. Last week, Quinton announced he is he is offering a $500 scholarship to a graduating Telfair County High senior in honor of his mom.

He begins his new job the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. He does not need a federal holiday to inspire and remind him of the ideals of a man who died 17 years before he was born.

“He helped reinforce in me that there is value in everyone,’’ Quinton said. “What I appreciate about Dr. King is that he had a vision to promote peace in the world. During his lifetime, he got a lot of pushback from people who today will celebrate him. Having read and studied and learned a lot about his life, that was not the case when he was living. People didn’t like him. He had a lot of criticism. People disagreed with his approaches.

“What gives me confidence about living a life that is committed to peace is that you have to be committed to your vision, even when everyone around you disagrees with you. That’s what I admire most about Dr. King. He did not adjust or minimize his vision.’’

Ed Grisamore teaches journalism at Stratford Academy in Macon. His column appears on Sundays in The Telegraph.