Martin Luther King Jr. remains a very influential figure in American Civil Rights history. MLK served as a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, and fought for equal rights for all in America. He and his movement fought for desegregation, the right to vote, labor rights, and justice for all Americans. He is well known for his non-violent protests, which consisted of peaceful marches, bus strikes, boycotts, civil disobedience, and direct-action protests. He is honored by the American public on the third Monday in January every year, per federal law. Though many students learn about the actions and effects of MLK’s life, many do not grasp the importance and impact of his work in American history.
Each year, Kent Place School holds an annual MLK Forum for students, led by students. Its goal is to reflect on MLK’s legacy and how contemporary students can carry his work in their lives. Student leaders from Kent Place, Delbarton, and Oak Knoll create and present presentations on different aspects of MLK’s work and dream in the context of modern times.
The event started with karaoke as an icebreaker, and then transitioned to breakout rooms. One of the breakout rooms was the Media Bias presentation. It highlighted current events and different article titles that media outlets published. Students worked in small groups to isolate the most neutral article title and identified different modes of which media outlets catch reader’s attention. Another breakout room encompassed a vision board, where students created an image of their different goals throughout their lives. After the breakrooms concluded, students were welcomed to reflect on their experiences and MLK’s work. The event concluded with an open forum where students were welcomed to share their thoughts with the group through poems, personal stories, speeches, and more.
For more information to get involved in this event or any other DAP events, please contact the adult moderators: Ms. Loveday, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Stival, or Mr. Hermo.
