Submitted by Susan Abramson
Our wonderful January 16th Lower School assembly was in honor of a true American hero, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Middle School Students of Color Affinity Group, including several Lower School alumni, visited our Lower School to share the story of Dr. King. The Middle School leaders led an interactive presentation that was positive and encouraged us to think about our experiences. We learned about Dr. King’s dream of a day when children would “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” We learned how he used peaceful protests and boycotts to spread his message, and how he worked with different ages, races, religions and creeds to share his dream.
We also viewed “Kid President”, a popular You Tube speaker, describe how Dr. King has inspired him, and how his dream is for people to treat everyone they meet as if “today is their birthday.”
We could not have this assembly without mention of how Dr. King’s life ended when he was assassinated in 1968. The Middle School speakers shared this in an age-appropriate manner, and the Lower School students came away from this assembly powerfully moved and hopefully inspired by the messages.
On Monday, January 21st, the Dwight-Englewood community hosted a Day of Service in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. We hope everyone was able to take a moment on Martin Luther King Day to sit alongside their children to talk about why this day is a federal holiday, and to remember Dr. King’s message of peace, freedom and unity. However you chose to spend that day, we hope in his memory, it was one of love and peace.