Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement that has forever changed this country. As a nation, in debt to the efforts of this minister, Americans celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. during this month. Fifth Grade Teacher Regina Bergeron said, “We celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. in reference to his peaceful leadership against racial discrimination during the 1955 boycott protesting laws that required black and white to sit in separate sections on buses. King always believed in peaceful tactics and continued to bring us back to the Lord. One of his most famous quotes says it all, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’ King understood that change comes through a continuous struggle and that only LOVE is capable of transforming this toil.”
Our school has taken part in this national celebration. The King’s Academy Teacher Grace Files came to the GRACE Council meeting in January to speak on implicit bias and justice. She said, “MLK bridged divides and fought for “‘equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest.’ Martin Luther King didn’t just want to win an argument. King led the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to advocate for the rights of African Americans, helped organize other boycotts, sit-ins and marches, and gave his famous ‘I have a Dream’ Speech. His leadership led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the passage of The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. King didn’t just want justice for himself. He fought for equality for ALL victims of injustice.”
Lead Librarian Lucy Towle shared what the national holiday means to her and said, “I can’t help but reflect on Martin Luther King, Jr. as a man who answered the call to declare equality for all people. His vision still stands today, and as we celebrate MLK Day, and through Christ’s love, we can refocus on the hope for our nation’s future. It is my prayer, when students come into the library, they find information to help them grow in truth through stories and biographies of those who stood for what was right.”
The power of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message as a social rights activist remains even today. From history classes in middle school to clubs in high school, all our students have taken the time to recognize the quest of freedom that was laid before.
