Dear Martin Luther King Junior,

My name is Tonya Smith, I am Black, and I am 12 years old. I am in the 6th grade and attend Buchner Elementary School in Montgomery, Alabama. During the past week I have been treated very poorly by some of the White people in Montgomery.

My troubles first began when my White best friend, Susie Hangman, told me that she could no longer play with me because I was Black. Then things started going downhill from there. That next day, my family and I were going to our favorite restaurant, but when we set foot through the passageway, they told us they do not serve Blacks. The worst thing that happened was everyday that week I had to give up my bus seat to any White person who got onto the bus (even the White kids).

This act of discrimination makes me mad and depressed. I think whether anyone be rich, poor, Black, White, Caucasian, or any mix of any race, they should all be treated the same.

I am willing to do whatever it takes to end this discrimination towards Black people and I hope you can help me.

Sincerely,

Tonya Smith