King Made U.S. a Better Nation, President Says

President Reagan, who initially opposed creating a federal holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., told children Wednesday at a school named after the slain civil rights leader that the country is “different and better” because of King’s commitment to justice and peace for all people.

The President added that the nation, although “freer” than it was when King led the civil rights movement, still had “unfinished business, and we can’t rest until all prejudice is gone forever.”

Reagan’s visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in southeast Washington was part of a week of activities commemorating the first national celebration of King’s birthday.

To See Mrs. King

King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, will meet with Reagan in the White House today. The month before Reagan grudgingly signed the 1983 legislation establishing her husband’s birthday as a federal holiday, she accepted Reagan’s apology for a remark he had made at a news conference that “we’ll know in about 35 years, won’t we?” whether King was a Communist sympathizer.

“I understand,” Mrs. King said at the time. “We all make mistakes, and I attribute this one to human error.”

In his speech to the schoolchildren, Reagan sounded like a longtime devotee of civil rights causes, referring at one point to “those of us who were a part of that revolution.”

The 350 grade-school children listened in rapt attention as Reagan told the story of Martin Luther King Jr., detailing the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott that brought him national attention and declaring: “It takes a lot of guts not to hit back when someone is hitting you--and he had that kind of guts.”

Jackson Leads Protest

As Reagan spoke, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson led 400 protesters in a march on the Justice Department to demand an appointment with Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III, who is pushing to soften federal guidelines on affirmative action.

Jackson accused Reagan of trying to turn back the clock on civil rights gains and said that the President has shown “no real willingness to share our concerns.”

Meese refused to see Jackson but said he would read Jackson’s letter of grievances and appoint an “appropriate” official to meet with him.

Reagan charmed the schoolchildren with a personal anecdote about his friendship with a black football player at his alma mater, Eureka College. Reagan recalled how “Burgy,” his nickname for William Franklin Burghardt, a teammate in 1931-32, prevailed through sheer grit over the racist taunts and “dirty tactics” of a white player on an opposing team.

‘Greatest Human Being’

By the fourth quarter, the white player’s team was beaten, but, before the player staggered off the field, he shook “Burgy’s” hand and, with tears in his eyes, said: “I just want you to know you’re the greatest human being I ever met.”

Reagan said the story illustrated “a conversion right there from hatred to respect and even liking for another man.”

A spokesman for Eureka College confirmed the friendship between Reagan and Burghardt, who died in August, 1981. She said that the school has a thick file documenting their closeness and that Burghardt often remarked how Reagan never forgot his birthday.

The children were enchanted by the tale and by Reagan’s presence. “He communicates with children,” said 12-year-old Latasha Hall. “He doesn’t use those big words that we can’t understand.”

Marine Band on Hand

A Marine band was stationed in a hallway adjacent to the school auditorium to announce Reagan’s arrival with the traditional playing of “Hail to the Chief.” The children had decorated the walls with red and blue “Welcome President Reagan” signs made out of construction paper.

In what Reagan called “a partnership in education,” the White House “adopted” the inner-city school two years ago and has singled it out for special attention before.

Reagan writes regularly to his “pen pal,” third-grader Rudolph Hines. The boy greeted Reagan when he arrived Wednesday and sat in the front row as the President spoke.