In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, the Upper School held an Assembly led by Coalition, a group consisting of the leaders of all of Chapin’s US affinity and education groups.
The goal of this Assembly, a Class 12 student explained, was “to display authentic leadership and allyship within history. We honor Dr. King’s legacy because of his unwavering commitment to justice, equality and the transformative power of education that we all benefit from today.”
After sharing more about Dr. King and his work as a social activist, Baptist minister, and as leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, another student took to the microphone to discuss the Sanitation Strike of 1968 and how people of all backgrounds joined in the fight for justice. “When King arrived in Memphis in March 1968, he framed the strike as a moral struggle that bound all Americans together,” the senior said, “insisting that economic justice, labor rights and racial equality were inseparable.”
Inspired by this theme of unity, each student group gave a presentation about someone in history who shared their identity and spoke out in support of others. For example, MENSCH, our US Jewish student affinity group, spoke about Abraham Joshua Heschel, a Polish American Rabbi who fled Poland during the Holocaust. A close confidant of Dr. King, Rabbi Heschel marched for voting rights in Selma, Alabama, and helped spread Dr. King’s message to Jewish people.
Asian Affinity selected Grace Lee Boggs, a Chinese American activist, “who maintained a core belief that if people worked together, they could accomplish positive social change.” She joined Dr. King’s walk to freedom and was a strong advocate for labor and tenants’ rights. Middle Eastern Affinity leaders highlighted how Egypt supported Sudan civilians by “opening its borders, hosting refugees, delivering aid and advocating for their safety and human needs during this crisis.”
Leaders of our other student affinity groups — BLAC, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Multiracial Affinity Group, La Familia (Latine and Hispanic affinity space) and the Muslim Student Association — followed, highlighting the themes of community, equality and partnership.
Chapin’s Core Value of Humanity permeated the students’ thoughtful remarks. “What you’ve seen is a fraction of examples of how people show up for each other,” a senior said as she wrapped up the presentation. Encouraging others to do the same, she concluded, “We hope that you walk away inspired by the legacy of Dr. King and all the people and movements who carry on his legacy.”
In the Middle School, students created collaborative posters with slogans inspired by Civil Rights activism and activists like Dr. King in their Advisories. Following a discussion led by advisors about the Civil Rights Movement and how similar themes appear in our School’s values, students began writing and illustrating their posters.
The Middle School then gathered as a whole in the Assembly Room to share their posters with their peers. Led by the Class 7 Junior Council, each Advisory sent a student to the podium to share their slogan. Each group presenting received cheers of encouragement and appreciation. A few of the posters read: “Each flower blooms differently but [is] filled with kindness and respect,” “together we can change the world one step at a time,” “choose your words wisely and say them kindly,” and “if we never stand up, we’ll never move forward.”
