'Like Dr. King, I have a dream': Fifth-grader's inspiring speech pays tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

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ABC News(DALLAS) — A fifth-grade Texas girl paid tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nearly 50 years after his death with an inspiring speech that called on young people to get involved in politics and enact change, so that “they will be able to say that Dr. King’s dream has really come true.”

“The promise of Dr. King’s dream, of improving the lives of the poor, and granting equal fair access to education and healthcare has not been fully realized,” Tchanori Kone, an elementary school student from the Houston area said in her speech, which won first place this weekend at the 22nd Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition.

Tchanori added that if the famed civil rights activist were still alive today, “he would be disappointed by our large homeless populations, our failing schools and struggling healthcare system.”

In her speech, entitled “Making the Dream Come True,” the young girl echoed King’s words, sharing her own dreams for the world.

“My dream for today’s world is to eliminate poverty and for every human being to have equal, fair access to education and healthcare,” Tchanori said.

Tchanori called on young people in her community to take political action by either running for office or voting to “change things.”

“I have a dream that from the sincere caring people here in America, there will arise some young people who are committed to helping their communities,” she said. “If we could convince these people to run for local, state, and even national offices, then we could vote for them, and have sympathetic people in power that can change things.”

“If we can do this, then it will be the true realization of Tchanori’s dream,” she added.

Tchanori told ABC News that she was inspired to advocate for the poor in her speech because she thought of other children, like herself.

“Some people don’t have any homes, and some of those people can be children, and some of those children don’t have anything to eat,” she said. “I just want everybody to be equal.”

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