Above: Dreamer Scholars prep for MLK Day making t-shirts and posters. 

Our Audacious Faith in the Dream and the Dreamers

An “arctic blast” interfered with marching in MLK Day events this week, but it hasn’t chilled our spirits! Together with hundreds of Dreamer Scholars, their families and our educational and community partners, we continue our constant march toward Dr. King’s dream of a society characterized by love, justice and equality.

Not everyone knows that the seeds of “I Have A Dream” Foundation (IHDF) were planted as Eugene Lang listened to Dr. King deliver his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech on the Mall in Washington. D.C. in 1963. 

Decades later, Lang–by then an entrepreneur/philanthropist–faced with the stark inequality that still existed in the NYC elementary school of his youth, made an audacious commitment to inspire and clear a path for a group of sixth graders to attend college despite the fact that many or most were not expected to finish high school in the 1980s. 

From that commitment, this foundation grew into an international group of local affiliates, each dedicated to creating opportunities for students to realize their dreams, beginning with innovative and holistic afterschool programming and culminating in financial and personal support for postsecondary education.

Dr. King was aware that racial and economic inequities were intertwined and would persist for years to come, and that progress would ebb and flow. In 1967, having led the Civil Rights Movement for years, he said the following in what would be his final address to the SCLC:

"The road ahead will not always be smooth. There will still be rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setbacks here and there. And there will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair…Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future."

While only about 33% of Americans had a favorable view of Dr. King at the time of his assassination, attitudes have changed dramatically over time–94% had a favorable view in a recent survey, as Pew Research reports.

Yet, economic statistics show that income inequality has steadily increased since the 1960s rather than decreasing; inequity which has consistently correlated with racial and ethnic factors. 

Dr. King saw that education, opportunity and economics were all critical to equality. And, despite stubborn resistance to change in those areas, he called his listeners to action “with an audacious faith in the future."

At IHDF, we share that audacious faith.

We have audacious faith in the hundreds of Dreamer Scholars with whom we spend our afternoons, from first grade through high school; then into college and beyond. 

As you invest, and as we invest, in these students we count it a privilege to be part of their journey toward their dreams.

More than that, we know that they are the future. They are essential to all of us realizing the dream of a loving, just and equitable society. 

Thank you for partnering with them and with us!

January is Mentor Appreciation Month! We’re thrilled to celebrate our partnership with A Precious Child, who has been instrumental in pairing Dreamers with amazing mentors. Their support has been invaluable in fostering meaningful connections that empower Dreamers to thrive.

We also want to give a special shoutout to the five dedicated mentors who have generously volunteered their time directly through IHDF, some for as long as 8 years! Thank you Marie Vicek, Stuart Ollanik, Mollie McGill, Sandy Garza-Abendroth and Hannah Wallace.

Mentorship is truly a long game, and the positive impact they’ve had on their mentees will resonate throughout their lives. Thank you to all mentors for your unwavering dedication and the countless hours you’ve invested in shaping bright futures!

If you're interested in learning more, please email Karina at karina.carrillo@ihaveadreamboulder.org

Interested in serving Dreamer Scholars as a Learning Partner/Tutor or in joining the work of IHDF Boulder County in other ways?

Applications are open now.  Click here to learn more and apply or explore other possibilities on our Volunteer Opportunities page.