On January 17, Boston Latin School students participated in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) celebration, featuring performances and events from school-based and student-led organizations.
MLK Day is a federal holiday recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a nonviolent civil rights activist, and his impact on the civil rights movement. Although the holiday was signed into law in 1983, it was first observed on January 20, 1986 and declared a federal holiday in 2000. In addition to celebrating the progress Dr. King made, MLK Day is also recognized as a national day of service.
BLS celebrates MLK Day each year by organizing a variety of programs for students on the Friday before the holiday. The celebration includes a school-wide assembly for all classes, workshops and service events. This year, the theme for the events was “I Am Possibility,” which represents Dr. King’s belief that people can make positive change in their communities and uphold the values of freedom, justice and democracy.
The assembly included Gospel Choir’s rendition of the Black national anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” BLS Black Leaders Aspiring for Change and Knowledge’s (B.L.A.C.K.) annual spoken word poetry performance, a self-choreographed performance from BLS Dance and a surprise portrait unveiling by former Head of School Rachel Skerritt.
Hosts then announced this year’s winners of the MLK essay, art and poetry contests to be Olivia Chen (III), David Nguyen (III) and Suhaila Abdulle (IV), respectively.
Throughout the school day, teachers brought their students to various events around the school. This involved a workshop titled “Boston’s Past, Present & Future Trailblazers” in the Seevak Room, a MLK Day of Service featuring various volunteer organizations in the dining hall and a read-in and banner creation in the library.
The MLK Day celebration has been hosted annually for more than a decade, but the organization process has transformed significantly over the years. In October, a planning committee of both students and staff was created, including Head of School Jason Gallagher and BLS B.L.A.C.K. faculty advisor Ms. Cheralyn Pinchem, who has helped organize the celebration for the past ten years.
In prior years, the celebration was organized by faculty alone, but now students have a large role in planning for it. Ms. Pinchem explains, “It’s important to have [the students] at the table […] because [they] are the ones who are going to eventually take that out into the world and make it.”
The MLK Day celebration featured students from several clubs, many of which reached out to the MLK committee early in the school year to take part in the celebration.
For example, BLS Step Squad has been a part of the MLK Day celebration since its creation, and this year they put on a special performance during the assembly for Classes I and II. Their performance is deeply rooted in African-American culture: “Stepping” originated in Black fraternities and sororities in the mid-20th century and is a style of percussive dance using the body and voice to create intricate rhythms.
Step co-captain Suyen Chiang (I) remarks, “When we’re stepping for MLK, it’s a nice way of symbolizing that tradition. It’s also about the cultural significance of it because you get to experience gospel music and other elements that have strong Black representation.”
BLS Dance, another group who performs at MLK Day, takes inspiration from existing dances and powerful lyrics of the song they choose each year. The planning process starts in late August, and after confirming with administrators, they run rehearsals both on stage and during their normal practices.
Gabby Huynh (II), co-president of BLS Dance, has participated and choreographed for several years. She reflects, “I think it’s important to recognize the way that dance has the power to speak to other people.”
On MLK Day, BLS held their annual Boston Cares MLK Day of Service, in which students and adults from Boston serve the community, make new friends and honor Dr. King.
Beyond Boston, cities around the nation organize marches, parades and service events in honor of Dr. King. These serve as ways to recognize Dr. King’s vision and continue his legacy of justice and freedom. Ms. Pinchem says, “I want [students] to understand that if you’re trying to make a change in this country, it takes more than one person. It takes many, many, many people to make it happen and to keep it going.”