Milton Friedman was remembered Thursday for being ahead of his time when it came to school choice, as well as his commitment to economic and political freedom at the Milton Friedman Legacy Day, sponsored jointly by the Bluegrass Institute and the Friedman Foundation for Education Choice. The event, which was held at Midwest Church of Christ in Louisville's West End to commemorate the late Nobel laureate's 101st birthday, included the Pledge of Allegiance and presentations about Friedman by young African-American students attending the church's learning and development center.  Bluegrass Institute President Jim Waters noted that a new survey by the Black Alliance for Educational Options exposes a myth perpetrated by some anti-school choice politicians that low-income families and parents don't know or care about having choices concerning their children's education. "One of the encouraging points of this survey is that those families in the black community who would most benefit from school choice get it: Support for charters in Kentucky was highest among younger black voters with lower incomes and fewer years of formal education whereas opposition to charters is strongest among black with higher incomes and more years of formal education," Waters said. "What the younger black voters know that too many opponents often choose to ignore is that too many black students are bearing the brunt of our failing education system." Along with a panel discussion by the Bluegrass Institute Board of Scholars that included a "What Would Friedman Say," Rep. Brad Montell, R-Shelbyville, said too many in the education establishment have it backwards when it comes to the relationship of poverty to education. While too many in the education system say "we have to address poverty before we can fix our education system," Montell said he believes that the only way the cycle of poverty can be broken is by reforming our education system. While some charter schools are doing poorly and, just like any other public school, need to be held accountable for their failure, he noted that there are many high-performing charters and that parents in urban areas like the West End of Louisville deserve more choices in order to provide their children with the best education possible. Montell, who said he plans on once again filing charter-school legislation for the 2014 Kentucky General Assembly to consider similar to what he has filed the past few legislative sessions, encouraged school-choice supporters to press ahead in spite of opposition that will always be present from teachers unions and education bureaucrats. Sen. Mike Wilson noted the importance of citizens contacting their legislators and letting them know about their support for charter schools. Each time someone calls in, a green slip gets filled out, which legislators always pay attention to, Wilson said.   Seven or eight of those green slips on any one issue gets serious consideration by all lawmakers, he said. The scholars commented on their Friedman would say about Kentucky's new law forcing students to remain in high school until age 18, vouchers and religious institutions and where Louisville stands in relation to other metro areas when it comes to economic freedom.