♪♪ >>> COMING UP, AS WE HEAD INTO THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HOLIDAY, A LOOK AT MILLENNIALS AND THEIR EFFORTS TO BRING ABOUT SOCIAL CHANGE THEIR WAY.

DAN LOTHIAN REPORTS.

>>> ALSO -- FRED DE SAM LAZARO ON KATIE MEYLER, AN AMERICAN IN LIBERIA SO COMMITTED TO DOING GOOD SHE REFUSED TO LEAVE EVEN WHEN EBOLA THERE WAS A DEADLY THREAT.

RETIREMENT COMPANY.

>>> WELCOME.

I'M BOB ABERNETHY.

IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.

>>> CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR DONALD TRUMP'S CABINET PICKS BEGAN THIS WEEK.

SENATOR JEFF SESSIONS, TRUMP'S CHOICE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL, WAS THE FIRST TO TESTIFY.

ALTHOUGH SESSIONS DENOUNCED AN OUTRIGHT BAN ON MUSLIMS ENTERING THE U.S., HE REITERATED TRUMP'S CALL FOR A STRONGER VETTING PROCESS.

REX TILLERSON, TRUMP'S CHOICE FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, ALSO TESTIFIED HE DID NOT SUPPORT A "BLANKET REJECTION" OF PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THEIR RELIGION.

TILLERSON ADDED THAT ALTHOUGH ISLAM IS A "GREAT FAITH," AMERICANS ARE RIGHT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT RADICAL ISLAM.

MANY RELIGIOUS GROUPS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT TRUMP'S CABINET NOMINEES.

ON MONDAY, HUNDREDS OF CLERGY MEMBERS AND DEMONSTRATORS OF VARIOUS FAITHS HELD A RALLY IN WASHINGTON OPPOSING THE NOMINATION OF SESSIONS.

>> TO PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS LIKE PUTTING THE FOX IN CHARGE OF THE HEN HOUSE.

>>> BARACK OBAMA ALSO GAVE HIS FAREWELL SPEECH AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES THIS WEEK.

HE SPOKE OF HIS FAITH IN DEMOCRACY AND URGED EVERYDAY AMERICANS TO CONTINUE TO TAKE PART IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS.

>> I DO HAVE ONE FINAL ASK OF YOU AS YOUR PRESIDENT, THE SAME THING I ASKED WHEN YOU TOOK A CHANCE ON ME EIGHT YEARS AGO.

I AM ASKING YOU TO BELIEVE.

NOT IN MY ABILITY TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE, BUT IN YOURS.

>>> OVERSEAS, AT THE VATICAN, A CONTROVERSY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN SOLVED.

McDONALD'S HAD OPENED A RESTAURANT NEAR THE VATICAN THAT SEVERAL CARDINALS COMPLAINED WAS TOO NEAR ST. PETER'S BASILICA.

THERE WAS A DISCUSSION AND McDONALD'S ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK THAT IT WILL PROVIDE A THOUSAND FREE LUNCHES EVERY MONDAY TO HOMELESS PEOPLE IN VATICAN CITY.

>>> AS COLD WEATHER CONTINUES TO SWEEP ACROSS ITALY, THE POPE AND HIS STAFF HAVE TAKEN OTHER STEPS TO HELP THE HOMELESS.

SLEEPING BAGS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED AND VATICAN VEHICLES HAVE BEEN LEFT OPEN SO SOME HOMELESS CAN USE THEM AS SHELTER.

>>> POPE FRANCIS ALSO ADDRESSED THE VATICAN DIPLOMATIC CORPS THIS WEEK.

AS HE SPOKE TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM MORE THAN 180 COUNTRIES, HE URGED POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO DO MORE TO STOP THE RISE OF "FUNDAMENTALIST TERRORISM."

THE POPE SAID RADICALS ARE MISUSING GOD'S NAME "IN ORDER TO DISSEMINATE DEATH."

>>> LAST WEEK, THE POPE MADE HEADLINES BY REITERATING HIS SUPPORT FOR BREAST-FEEDING IN PUBLIC.

AS HE BAPTIZED 28 BABIES AT THE SISTINE CHAPEL, FRANCIS TOLD THE MOTHERS GATHERED THERE THAT THEY COULD CALM THEIR CRYING BABIES BY NURSING THEM, JUST AS THE VIRGIN MARY NURSED THE BABY JESUS.

>>> THE UNITED NATIONS ANNOUNCED THAT MORE MIGRANTS WERE KILLED CROSSING THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA TO EUROPE IN 2016 THAN EVER BEFORE.

MORE THAN 363,000 PEOPLE CROSSED THE SEA IN 2016.

BUT AN ESTIMATED 5,000 DIED IN THE CROSSING.

U.N. OFFICIALS CALLED FOR FINDING BETTER MEANS FOR ENSURING SAFE MIGRATION.

>>> THE INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT MINISTRY OPEN DOORS USA RELEASED ITS ANNUAL LIST OF THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES FOR CHRISTIANS.

NORTH KOREA TOPPED THE LIST FOR THE 15TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR.

SOMALIA, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, AND SUDAN ROUNDED OUT THE TOP FIVE.

DAVID CURRY, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF OPEN DOORS, SAID CHRISTIANS SUFFERED MORE PERSECUTION IN 2016 THAN IN ANY OTHER YEAR ON RECORD.

HE SAID 215 MILLION CHRISTIANS, 1 IN 12, EXPERIENCED HIGH LEVELS OF PERSECUTION FOR THEIR FAITH.

EXPERTS POINTED TO THE RISE OF ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS AS THE MOST DEADLY FORCE AROUND THE WORLD FOR CHRISTIANS, FOLLOWED BY GOVERNMENTS HOSTILE TO CHRISTIANITY.

EDWARD AWABDEH, A PASTOR FROM SYRIA, SPOKE ABOUT THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN HIS COUNTRY BUT SAID NOT ALL MUSLIMS WERE TO BLAME.

>> THE MAJORITY OF MUSLIMS ARE NOT RADICALS.

I MEAN, WE ARE FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, WE GO TO SCHOOL TOGETHER, WE LIVE TOGETHER, WE RESPECT EACH OTHER, WE RESPECT THE OPINION OF EACH OTHER AND THE FAITH OF EACH OTHER.

WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MUSLIMS, THE MODERATE MUSLIMS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.

OUR PROBLEM IS WITH RADICALS.

>>> THIS WEEK A JURY SENTENCED DYLANN ROOF TO DEATH.

ROOF IS THE WHITE SUPREMACIST WHO KILLED NINE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCHGOERS IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA IN 2015.

THE JURY OF NINE WHITES AND THREE BLACKS RETURNED ITS UNANIMOUS VERDICT AFTER ABOUT THREE HOURS OF DELIBERATION.

LAST MONTH, THE SAME JURY FOUND ROOF GUILTY ON 33 COUNTS FOR THE ATTACK AT EMANUEL AME CHURCH.

ROOF ALSO FACES A SEPARATE STATE TRIAL, WHICH HAS BEEN INDEFINITELY POSTPONED.

>>> IN WASHINGTON, AN HISTORIC BAPTIST CHURCH HAS NAMED A GAY COUPLE AS CO-PASTORS.

LAST WEEKEND, SALLY SARRATT AND MARIA SWEARINGEN WERE PRESENTED TO THE CONGREGATION OF CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH.

THE 155-YEAR-OLD CHURCH WAS FOUNDED BY ABOLITIONISTS AND IS AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES USA.

THE COUPLE IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN THEIR NEW JOB NEXT MONTH.

FULL DISCLOSURE, MY GRANDFATHER WAS PASTOR AT CALVARY FOR 20 YEARS.

>>> THIS COMING MONDAY IS MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY.

THIS YEAR MARKS THE 49TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ASSASSINATION.

OLDER GENERATIONS REMEMBER DR. KING'S LEADERSHIP OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUNGER ONES?

DOES DR. KING'S LEGACY REMAIN AN INSPIRATION FOR TODAY'S MILLENNIALS?

DAN LOTHIAN REPORTS FROM BOSTON.

>> Reporter: THERE IS PLENTY OF SYMBOLISM IN THIS SOARING SCULPTURE ON THE CAMPUS OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY.

IT'S CALLED "FREE AT LAST," AND IT HONORS ONE OF THE SCHOOL'S MOST FAMOUS GRADUATES -- DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. LOOK CLOSELY AND YOU'LL SEE 50 DOVES FLYING TO THE HEAVENS IN FORMATION.

>> FOR THE BOOMERS WHO WERE ALIVE WHEN MARTIN LUTHER KING GIVES HIS ICONIC SPEECH IN THE SUMMER OF 1963, KING HAS ALL KINDS OF ICONIC RESONANCE, BECAUSE HE REPRESENTS SORT OF THE BEST OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN THE POST-WORLD WAR II ERA.

>> Reporter: REVEREND EUGENE RIVERS HAS DEVOTED A MAJOR PART OF HIS ADULT LIFE TO FIGHTING GANG VIOLENCE IN BOSTON'S INNER-CITY NEIGHBORHOODS, A HANDS-ON FAITH-BASED APPROACH TO TACKLING CRIME.

>> ALL THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS WAS LARGELY INFLUENCED BY THE TRADITION OF KING.

>> Reporter: IN A WAY, DR. KING IS ALL AROUND US EVERY DAY.

HIS NAME IS ON SOME 900 STREETS NATIONWIDE, ON SCHOOLS, AND, OF COURSE, ON A HOLIDAY.

HE CONTINUES TO INSPIRE AMERICANS AND MANY OTHERS IN THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE, BUT FOR THAT YOUNGER GENERATION THE FIGHT HAS A DIFFERENT LOOK, A DIFFERENT FEEL.

SARAH JACKSON IS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES AT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY AND AN EXPERT ON SOCIAL MOVEMENTS.

SHE SEES A COMPLEX CONNECTION BETWEEN THE YOUTH OF TODAY AND THE CIVIL-RIGHTS LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE OF THE PAST.

>> I THINK ULTIMATELY WHAT WE FIND, ESPECIALLY AMONG MILLENNIAL ACTIVISTS, IS THAT THERE IS SORT OF BOTH AN EMBRACE AND AT THE SAME TIME A DISTANCE FROM KING, WHICH IS TO SAY THAT THEY ARE INSPIRED BY SOME OF HIS MORE RADICAL WRITINGS, THE LETTER FROM THE BIRMINGHAM JAIL, SOME OF THE THINGS HE WROTE AND SAID, FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT LABOR, ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR AND IMPERIALISM.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME I THINK THERE IS A RESISTANCE TO THE WAY THAT KING HAS BEEN SANITIZED IN THE MAINSTREAM.

>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

>> IT'S THIS IDEA THAT KING, YOU KNOW, LOVED EVERYBODY, AND THERE WAS A RIGHT WAY TO PROTEST.

HE WAS THE RIGHT LEADER, AND OFTEN THAT IS LEVIED AS SORT OF A CHARGE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY DON'T HAVE LEADERSHIP LIKE THAT.

>> Reporter: BUT LEADERSHIP IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE, AN ESTABLISHED AUTHORITY WHO CARRIES THE MANTLE FOR A GROUP OF PEOPLE, IS BEING REDEFINED.

>> THE PERSPECTIVE IS DIFFERENT, BUT THE GOAL FOR LIBERATION IS STILL THE SAME.

>> Reporter: WE DROVE AROUND WITH MARTIN HENSON, A 20-SOMETHING ACTIVIST WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER BOSTON.

THESE ARE THE STREETS WHERE A NEW GENERATION IS CARRYING OUT ITS VERSION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, LOOSELY AFFILIATED GROUPS MOBILIZING AROUND DIVERSE ISSUES.

I ASKED HIM IF MILLENNIAL ACTIVISTS ARE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT KING OR MALCOM X, SOMEONE WHO CAN DRAW ATTENTION TO A CAUSE AND HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.

>> YOU GET VIDEO TIME, AND PEOPLE SEEM FUN AND CHARISMATIC AND ENGAGING, AND IT IS GOING TO HAVE A MULTIMEDIA EFFECT IN A CERTAIN WAY.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE, NOT HOW REAL ACTIVISM LOOKS, YOU KNOW.

IT IS WORK, AND ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THESE THINGS YOU JUST NEVER SEE.

>> Reporter: ACCORDING TO HENSON AND OTHER ACTIVISTS, NOW MORE THAN EVER IT'S A BOTTOM-UP STRUCTURE THAN TOP DOWN, AND TECHNOLOGY IS MAKING THAT EASIER.

SOCIAL MEDIA PUTS THE POWER OF A MOVEMENT INTO THE PALM OF YOUR HAND.

A HASHTAG CAN BECOME A RALLYING CRY AND TAKE OFF FROM THERE, AS IT DID WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER.

>> YOU MAKE A MEME, AND YOU ARE INSTANTLY SAYING HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR THING, AND PEOPLE CAN RESONATE WITH THAT AND FEEL EMPOWERED BY IT, OR THEY CAN CREATE AN EVENT ON FACEBOOK, AND PEOPLE COME TO THE EVENT.

>> Reporter: WE ALSO MET WITH A GROUP OF YOUNG WOMEN WHO ATTEND HIGH SCHOOL IN THE BOSTON SUBURB OF WELLESLEY.

EACH BELIEVES DR. KING IS STILL RELEVANT.

>> HE HAS GIVEN A LOT OF YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN GIRLS AND BOYS A VOICE.

>> Reporter: BUT THEY ALSO SAY THEY DON'T NEED ANYONE TO SPEAK FOR THEM.

>> IF YOU WANT SOMETHING LIKE TO BE DONE, A CHANGE, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO SEEK A LEADER OF SORTS.

YOU CAN LIKE START WITH YOURSELF.

YOU CAN BECOME THAT LEADER, OR YOU CAN LIKE START A MOVEMENT.

>> YEAH,I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS LIKE A WAY, BECAUSE YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE YOU PROBABLY REALLY DON'T TALK TO, SO YOU CAN -- SO THEY WOULD KNOW HOW YOU FEEL, AND MAYBE THEY CAN LEARN FROM WHAT YOU'RE TELLING THEM OR WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO TEACH PEOPLE.

>> Reporter: THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT MANY YOUNG ACTIVISTS OF TODAY.

THE MESSAGE IS NOT JUST ABOUT BLACKS AND WHITES, BUT GENDER EQUALITY AND LGBT ISSUES.

THEY ALSO ADDRESS THINGS LIKE GENTRIFICATION.

NOWHERE IS THAT MORE APPARENT THAN IN SOUTH BOSTON, ONCE GROUND ZERO IN THE VIOLENT BUSING CLASH OF THE 1970S AFTER THE COURT-ORDERED DESEGREGATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

SOME OLD PROBLEMS LINGER, BUT TODAY MUCH HAS CHANGED IN THE CITY.

>> THE POOR, BLACK AND WHITE, ARE BEING MOVED OUT OF THE CITY.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE SOUTH BOSTON WHITES THAT WERE RAISING ALL THAT HELL BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT THEIR KIDS BUSSED, THEY DON'T EVEN LIVE IN SOUTH BOSTON ANYMORE, AND NOW SOUTH BOSTON IS CALLED SOBO, RIGHT?

SO THE NEW AXIS AROUND WHICH THINGS PIVOT IS THE FACT THAT BOSTON IS BEING COMPLETELY GENTRIFIED.

>> Reporter: THERE ARE DIFFERENCES, TOO, WHEN IT COMES TO RELIGION AND THE CHURCH.

THE CHURCH WAS CENTRAL TO DR. KING'S MOVEMENT AND THE LEADERS WHO FOLLOWED, MANY OF WHOM WERE MINISTERS THEMSELVES.

BUT IT'S MUCH LESS SO TODAY.

PROFESSOR JACKSON SAYS SOME YOUNG PEOPLE ARE RESISTANT TO THE PATRIARCHAL STRUCTURE.

>> THE CHURCH HAS PLAYED THAT ROLE, AND I THINK THAT IS PART OF WHY YOU SEE YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH AND THE ROLE OF RELIGION A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY IN ACTIVISM.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AT LEAST FROM MY EXPERIENCE, I WOULD SAY BOTH AMONG MY STUDENTS AND THE ACTIVISTS THAT I HAVE BEEN AROUND, THERE IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE THAT SPIRITUALITY IS PLAYING AMONG MILLENNIALS AND AMONG CONTEMPORARY ACTIVISTS, AND IT IS A SPIRITUALITY THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY TIED, AGAIN, TO SORT OF THE FORMAL STRUCTURES OF CHURCH ORGANIZATION AND DOESN'T NECESSARILY, AGAIN, REQUIRE A CERTAIN TYPE OF LEADERSHIP.

>> Reporter: AS THE NATION HONORS DR. KING, REVEREND RIVERS SEES A NEED FOR TRADITIONAL LEADERS TO SHIFT THEIR WAY OF THINKING -- FROM AN EIGHT-TRACK TAPE FRAME OF MIND TO AN iPAD WORLD.

>> WE'VE GOT TO TAKE THE BEST OF THE MORAL TRADITIONS AND THE CULTURAL TRADITIONS AND UPDATE THEM.

>> Reporter: MICHELLE CHALMERS UNDERSTANDS THAT WELL.

SHE'S A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST WHO MARKS EVERY KING HOLIDAY WITH A COMPREHENSIVE FAMILY-CENTERED PROGRAM THAT GOES WELL BEYOND A FEW CLIPS OF "I HAVE A DREAM."

>> WE'RE DOING MORE INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES, INVOLVING REALLY THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, UNDERSTANDING HOW IMPORTANT HIS WORK AND OBVIOUSLY THE MOVEMENT IS AND WAS.

SO I THINK WHEN I CREATED THE GAMES I REALLY WANTED IT TO BE INTERACTIVE, TRYING TO GET KIDS TO ASK A LITTLE BIT MORE CRITICALLY, LIKE WHAT WAS THIS MOVEMENT?

WHAT WAS THIS MAN TRYING TO DO, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT NOW?

>> Reporter: WHICH BRINGS US BACK TO THAT SCULPTURE WITH THE FLYING DOVES.

IT SYMBOLIZES PEACE IN ALL 50 STATES.

DR. KING HAD A DREAM, OF PEACE, JUSTICE, EQUALITY.

THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD SAY THEY HAVE MANY OF THE SAME GOALS BUT ARE BREAKING FROM TRADITION WHEN IT COMES TO WHOSE VOICE AND WHAT ISSUES GET THE MOST ATTENTION.

>> NOW IT'S UP TO US TO TRY AND CHANGE WHAT'S GOING ON NOW FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

>> THE NEW CIVIL RIGHTS HAS JUST EXPANDED.

IT HAS JUST TAKEN ON A LOOK THAT FITS THE CONTEXT THAT WE LIVE IN.

>> I THINK THE YOUNG PEOPLE SEE THAT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT, YOU KNOW, LONGER GROWTH AND SOMETHING TO CONTINUE WE NEED TO DO IT DIFFERENTLY, BECAUSE WE WANT TO HAVE IT SUSTAINED.

WE WANT IT TO KEEP GOING.

>> Reporter: FOR "RELIGION AND ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY," I'M DAN LOTHIAN IN BOSTON.

>>> WE HAVE A FRED DE SAM LAZARO REPORT TODAY ON KATIE MEYLER, A TRUE AMERICAN HERO.

ONCE SHE WAS AN IMPOVERISHED TEENAGER IN NEW JERSEY WHO VOLUNTEERED WITH THE CHRISTIAN CHARITY SAMARITAN'S PURSE.

SHE WAS SENT TO LIBERIA WHERE SHE BECAME A ONE-WOMAN FORCE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EDUCATION FOR THAT COUNTRY'S GIRLS.

SHE RAISED MONEY TO BUILD A SCHOOL AND BECAME SO COMMITTED TO HER WORK SHE REFUSED TO LEAVE EVEN WHEN EBOLA STRUCK TWO YEARS AGO.

SHE IS STILL GOING STRONG.

>> Reporter: 34-YEAR-OLD KATIE MEYLER IS A WELL-KNOWN FIGURE IN WEST POINT, ONE OF THE POOREST SLUMS IN MONROVIA.

WITH A FRECKLED FACE, STRAWBERRY BLONDE HAIR, COMBAT BOOTS, AND A DRESS SHE CUTS AN UNLIKELY PROFILE.

BUT MEYLER FEELS RIGHT AT HOME HERE, AND THERE'S NO GREATER PROOF OF THAT THAN HER DECISION TO REMAIN HERE DURING THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC THAT RAVAGED THE CITY TWO YEARS AGO.

THE VIRUS TOOK THOUSANDS OF LIVES.

MOST OUTSIDERS WHO WEREN'T MEDICAL PERSONNEL WERE EVACUATED, INCLUDING JOURNALISTS.

MEYLER FILLED THAT VOID WITH REGULAR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND INTERVIEWS.

>> I'D RATHER DIE AT 30 YEARS OLD, OR 32 YEARS OLD, LIVING FOR WHAT I REALLY BELIEVE FROM HEAD TO TOE IN EVERY SINGLE WAY POSSIBLE THAN TO LIVE TO BE 90 YEARS OLD AND NOT REALLY FULFILL WHAT I WAS BORN TO DO.

>> BENU IS ACTUALLY NUMBER ONE IN HER CLASSES.

>> Reporter: FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS, MEYLER HAS MADE YOUNG WOMEN LIKE BENU HER CAUSE.

SHE IS THE FOUNDER OF THE MORE THAN ME ACADEMY, A PRIVATE SCHOOL WHICH PROVIDES FREE EDUCATION FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SIXTH-GRADE GIRLS, AND THEN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THEM TO GO ON TO HIGH SCHOOL.

MOST OF THE GIRLS COME FROM LARGE FAMILIES AND NEVER WOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN EDUCATION, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN FORCED TO WORK ON THE STREETS SELLING THINGS TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.

>> I STARTED MORE THAN ME BECAUSE I HAD A PASSION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS FOR KIDS.

I HAD A PASSION FOR POOR KIDS, REALIZING THAT YES, THEY WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK.

AND IF THEY'RE GIRLS AND THEY'RE ON THE STREETS THEY'RE VULNERABLE, OFTEN TIMES THEY'RE SEXUALLY EXPLOITED.

>> Reporter: MEYLER SAYS THE EXTREME POVERTY IN LIBERIA LEADS TO PARTICULARLY INSIDIOUS BEHAVIORS.

>> HOW BAD WHEN YOU'RE TRYING JUST EVERY SINGLE DAY TO GET A CUP OF RICE TO STAY ALIVE.

YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN AND HEARD AND KNOW OF MOTHERS THAT HAVE ENDED UP PROSTITUTING THEIR OWN CHILDREN JUST TO SURVIVE, AND IT SOUNDS HORRIFIC TO ANYBODY ON THE OUTSIDE.

OF COURSE.

HOW CAN A MOTHER DO THAT?

BUT HOW COULD A MOTHER LET HER DAUGHTER DIE, TOO?

>> Reporter: MEYLER'S PASSION FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE BEGAN MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO AS A TEENAGER IN SUBURBAN NEW JERSEY, WHERE SHE WAS RAISED BY A SINGLE MOTHER.

OFTEN THE FAMILY WAS DYSFUNCTIONAL, SHE SAYS.

OFTEN THEY HAD TO GO ON WELFARE.

MEYLER SAYS SHE FOUND SOLACE AT HER CHURCH.

>> IT FELT GOOD TO HELP OTHERS, AND IT HELPED ME GET OUT OF MY OWN THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON IN MY LIFE.

SO I GOT ADDICTED TO REALLY MAKING OTHER PEOPLE HAPPY.

>> Reporter: SHE WENT ON TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE, THE FIRST IN HER FAMILY TO DO SO, AND TOOK A PAID INTERNSHIP WITH THE CHARITY SAMARITAN'S PURSE, WHICH ASSIGNED HER TO LIBERIA.

>> I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE LIBERIA WAS ON A MAP, AND I GOOGLED IT.

>> Reporter: SO IT WAS MEANT TO BE FOR SIX MONTHS.

>> YES.

>> Reporter: IT'S BEEN 11 YEARS.

WHAT HAPPENED?

>> THERE'S A SAYING THAT NOBODY CHOOSES LIBERIA, THAT LIBERIA CHOOSES YOU.

I THINK PART OF IT IS YOU COME HERE AND YOU SEE THE AMOUNT OF NEED THE PLACE HAS, AND THE PEOPLE ARE VERY WARM AND OPEN, AND YOU CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE HERE.

>> Reporter: BOTH DURING AND FOLLOWING HER INTERNSHIP, MEYLER MET MANY CHILDREN WHO WEREN'T IN SCHOOL.

IN FACT, 10 YEARS AGO MORE THAN HALF OF ALL PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN DID NOT ATTEND.

SO MEYLER BEGAN RAISING MONEY, AT FIRST MOSTLY THROUGH HER CHURCH, FOR SCHOLARSHIPS.

BUT SHE QUICKLY BECAME DISENCHANTED WITH THE EXISTING SCHOOLS.

>> THEY'RE NOT REALLY LEARNING ANYTHING AT SCHOOL, BECAUSE THE TEACHERS DON'T COME ON TIME.

BOTH IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IT'S VERY RARE THAT TEACHERS SHOW UP AND THEY ARE ACCOUNTABLE.

>> Reporter: MEYLER DECIDED SHE HAD TO START HER OWN SCHOOL, SO SHE RAISED MONEY FROM BOTH SMALL AND LARGE DONORS IN THE UNITED STATES, PURCHASED A BUILDING, AND HIRED TEACHERS.

THE SCHOOL PROVIDES BREAKFAST AND LUNCH, MEDICAL SERVICES, AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS.

THERE'S A STRONG EMPHASIS ON EMPOWERING GIRLS TO STAND UP AGAINST SEXUAL ABUSE.

THE SCHOOL CAN ACCOMMODATE 180 STUDENTS.

HUNDREDS MORE WISH THEY COULD ATTEND.

WE MET ONE OF THEM ON OUR TRIP TO WEST POINT.

>> SHE STOPPED IN THIRD GRADE GOING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE HER FAMILY DOESN'T HAVE ANY MONEY.

>> Reporter: WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR A CHILD LIKE THIS?

>> SO UNFORTUNATELY, OUR SCHOOL ONLY HAS 180 SPOTS, AND SO AT THIS POINT WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPACE.

>> Reporter: AND HER STUDENTS ARE STILL PLAYING CATCHUP.

ALL SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR AFTER EBOLA STRUCK.

WEST POINT, WHERE MOST OF THE MORE THAN ME STUDENTS LIVED, WAS GROUND ZERO FOR THE CRISIS.

RESIDENTS WERE QUARANTINED INSIDE, AND MOST WESTERNERS LEFT.

MEYLER ADMITS SHE WAS FEARFUL.

>> WHAT DEFINES YOU THE MOST IS WHAT YOU DO DESPITE YOUR FEAR, AND SO I WAS EXTREMELY AFRAID.

I SIGNED MY POWER OF ATTORNEY AWAY BEFORE I LEFT, JUST IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENED.

THERE WAS A REAL, LEGITIMATE CONCERN THAT I MIGHT NOT RETURN HOME.

>> Reporter: AFTER SHE BRIBED HER WAY INTO THE QUARANTINED WEST POINT, SHE WAS SHOCKED TO FIND VIRTUALLY NO HEALTH SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT.

SHE QUICKLY RAISED MONEY TO BUY AMBULANCES AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND TURNED HER SCHOOL INTO A DISASTER RESPONSE CENTER.

>> OUR PLAN WAS DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO KEEP EVERYBODY ALIVE, AND THEN WHEN YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE, BRING DIGNITY IN DEATH, SO WE DID A LOT OF THAT, TOO, SINGING TO PEOPLE, PRAYING WITH PEOPLE WHILE THEY DIED.

CHILDREN THAT WERE DYING OUTSIDE, SOME OF THEM WERE JUST LAYING OUTSIDE THE OVERFLOW CENTER.

THE ONES INSIDE WERE ACTUALLY WORSE OFF, BECAUSE THEY WERE THE DEAD MIXED WITH THE LIVING.

THEY COULD BARELY MOVE, BARELY COULD SPEAK.

>> Reporter: HOW DO YOU RECOVER FROM THAT?

>> I DON'T WANT TO GET OVER THIS, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

I THINK THAT REMEMBERING AND FEELING WHAT IT FELT LIKE AND TO SEE THAT NATIONAL EMERGENCY MOTIVATES ME AND FUELS ME TO FIGHT TO ENSURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

>> Reporter: MEYLER BELIEVES ONE OF THE MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO THE EBOLA CRISIS WAS THE LACK OF EDUCATION, SO SHE APPROACHED THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, GEORGE WERNER, AND ASKED HIM TO CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH PRIVATE GROUPS TO OVERHAUL THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

A PILOT PROJECT BEGAN THIS FALL USING SEVEN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO REVAMP 94 SCHOOLS.

MORE THAN ME WAS PUT IN CHARGE OF SIX OF THOSE SCHOOLS.

WE MET WITH MEYLER AT A BACK-TO-SCHOOL CELEBRATION IN THE RURAL VILLAGE OF BOGBEH.

>> MOST IN THE COMMUNITY HERE DON'T READ OR WRITE AND DIDN'T GET BASIC EDUCATION.

SO THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT OUT OF 2,750 PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY THAT REALLY AREN'T FUNCTIONING, BARELY FUNCTIONING IF FUNCTIONING AT ALL, THAT THEIR SCHOOL WAS SELECTED AMONG A FEW.

>> Reporter: MEYLER AND HER STAFF HAVE HELPED OVERSEE SCHOOL REPAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CURRICULA AND INSTALLATION OF TEACHER TRAINERS AT EACH OF THE SIX SCHOOLS.

THE ATTENTION SHE EARNED DURING THE EBOLA CRISIS, INCLUDING BEING NAMED A "TIME" MAGAZINE PERSON OF THE YEAR, HAS OPENED THE DOORS TO PHILANTHROPISTS.

MEYLER HOPES TO RAISE $25 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO EXPAND TO 500 SCHOOLS.

BUT, ULTIMATELY, SHE HOPES THE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT IS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT THE PRIVATE PARTNERS CAN RELINQUISH THEIR ROLES.

>> OUR GOAL HERE IS TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS.

I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU FOR US WE'RE SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE'RE NOT NEEDED ANYMORE.

WE'RE SUCCESSFUL WHEN LIBERIA'S GOVERNMENT CAN RUN THESE SCHOOLS, AND THE TEACHERS ARE AT CAPACITY, AND LIBERIA DOESN'T NEED TO HAVE THE EXTERNAL SUPPORT.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE WORKING TOWARD.

>> Reporter: SHE MAY WISH TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS IN A MORE PROSPEROUS FUTURE LIBERIA.

AS FOR HER OWN FUTURE PERSONALLY, MEYLER SAYS SHE HAS NO PLANS TO LEAVE HER ADOPTED COUNTRY.

FOR "RELIGION AND ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY," I'M FRED DE SAM LAZARO IN MONROVIA, LIBERIA.

>>> THAT'S OUR PROGRAM FOR NOW.

I'M BOB ABERNETHY.

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