Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes, US Ambassador to China Clark Randt, and US Public Diplomacy Envoy Michelle Kwan visit King Instiute class in Beijing

January 20, 2007

Beijing--Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes made her first stop in Beijing with a visit to the King Institute's Martin Luther King class at the Second Middle School (attached to Beijing Normal University).  The Under Secretary was joined by US Ambassador to China Clark Randt and US Public Diplomacy Envoy Michelle Kwan.

For the visit, six American and Chinese students presented a bilingual reading of the "I Have a Dream" speech, followed by an a cappella performance of the spiritual "Wade in the Water"  After the performance, the King Institute's Caitrin McKiernan moderated a discussion among American and Chinese students and the distinguished guests about Dr. King's legacy.

The Martin Luther King class, a year-long pilot program between the King Institute and the Second Middle School, brings the life and legacy of Martin Luther King to juniors at the prestigious Chinese high school. This spring, the Chinese students are collaborating with American high school students (studying abroad in Beijing) to present a dramatic reading of the play Passages of Martin Luther King.

The class and play are part of ongoing efforts by the King Instituteto celebrate Dr. King's legacy in China. These efforts will culminate in June 2007, when the National Theatre Company of China presents the international premiere of Passages of Martin Luther King, as part of Stanford's Martin Luther King Week in Beijing.