Students listen to the presentation at St. Andrew's.
Tuesday, the day after Martin Luther King Day, Community High School was one of the many schools that presented a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The entire school was split up into two locations: Craft Theater and St. Andrew’s. After block six classes were let out, students assembled into one of these two locations. For the Craft Theater, it was difficult, as nearly 250 students had to be packed into the small theater.
As soon as the students settled down, the presentation began with a video that featured the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. The video was a montage of photos, showing everything from his family to his greatest achievements. It is well known that Dr. King spoke on innumerable occasions, and these speeches were played over the photos. The combination of his powerful voice and historical photos set the mood for the solemnity of the holiday.
Following the video, students recited Dr. King’s “Drum Major Instinct” speech, led by D’Andre White, president of the Black Student Union. Included in the speech was the powerful line: “…everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”
After the presentation, students congregated in their forums to discuss the assembly with an activity. Paired up and sitting in two circles, students discussed varying questions inspired by the presentation. At the end of the discussion, forum leaders passed out slips of paper asking students to “pledge to serve” in any way that they want, signed by themselves. These pledges were inspired by the “Drum Major Instinct” speech and the line: “…everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”
With the day off of school on Monday, this presentation was both a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a reminder of the importance of this holiday.
Photos by Emma Machcinski
Video by Nadeem Persico-Shammas
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