RALEIGH, N.C. — Thursday marked one year since the attacks at the U.S. Capitol. Now, we are looking back through the eyes of a 10-year-old Hope Mills boy who is trying to make the world a better place.

“Somewhere, I read of the freedom of speech, somewhere I read of the freedom of press," Jerel McGeachy recites.

What You Need To Know

  • A Hope Mills boy recited the MLK speech on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack anniversary

  • The Indivisible Triangle Daily Call to Action led a candlelight vigil

  • Five people died and several more were injured at the U.S. Capitol attacks on January 6, 2021

In downtown Raleigh Thursday night, 10-year-old Jerel McGeachy recites Martin Luther King Jr.'s final speech.

“I've looked over and I've seen the promise land," McGeachy said.

Those words, which MLK first spoke in 1968, still resonate for the fifth grader.

“It is disappointing, utterly disappointing that the words are still relevant in todays society," McGeachy said.

Last year, a violent mob of rioters took over the U.S. Capitol, leading to five deaths and many more injuries.

“That was a disappointing day for our country, many officers were harmed in the attacks," McGeachy said.

So, at just 10 years old, McGeachy puts on a bowtie and a vest and prepares to deliver an MLK speech like he’s done dozens of times before. Each time, he starts with a prayer.

“It gives me strength and peace of mind," McGeachy said.

On this night, for this speech, McGeachy speaks to a small crowd participating in a candlelight vigil at Bicentennial Plaza, marking the anniversary of those attacks. He shares the same hope MLK did all those years ago.

“We can try to be better people and we can try to make this a better country," McGeachy said.

McGeachy doesn’t necessarily want to be in the public eye when he grows up. Instead, he says, he wants to work for the FBI as a forensic artist.