MLK: Review

With various workshops regarding social equality and a keynote speech by esteemed author Lorene Cary, the Academy community celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day this past Friday. Framed around the theme of “Radical MLK,” as presented by Cary, the day focused on the more extreme notions of Dr. King’s works.Professor Lorene Cary, educator and author of the memoir Black Ice, kicked off the day with a speech centered around King’s renowned “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” which upheld the idea of non-violent reactions to racism. As an alumnus of St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH, Cary combined stories from her life with that of Dr. King’s to make the speech more relevant and relatable to Exonians.History instructor and MLK Day Committee member Molly MacKean-Davis reflected on Cary’s speech, noting her incorporation of personal stories in her speech to tie in King’s work and legacies. “I was so impressed by how she managed to make MLK simultaneously very human and inspiring,” she said.Davis expanded on the efficacy of Cary’s inclusion of Dr. King’s life stories in her speech. “By acknowledging that he was a man who felt fear and anger, but who demonstrated courageous leadership despite those feelings—in fact because of those feelings—she made his legacy ever more powerful," she said.Students also reacted to Cary’s speech positively. Senior Kihong Ahn acclaimed Cary’s eloquence. “I thought the incorporation of her teenage year stories and boarding school experience in her speech was especially interesting and effective," he said.On the other hand, Decker felt that Cary's speech could have been improved in some ways. “I was a bit disappointed in the lack of emphasis on MLK himself,” he said. Decker believed that the celebration of the holiday can sometimes be a bit too broad. He added that Cary’s emphasis on King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was minimal and that the experience would have been improved had it been expanded upon.This year’s required workshop, a presentation by Derrick Gay titled “Hair Me Out!” wrestled with cultural stereotypes based on hair in a unique and lively interactive workshop.The workshop also garnered praise from students.Prep Xiaoyu Ma, a member of the MLK Day Committee, said that the “Hair Me Out!” workshop was especially informing.“Hair Me Out was a mind-opening experience for me. I learned a lot about stereotypical opinions Americans hold based on people's hairstyle,” Ma said. “It's really interesting how all my American friends felt quite disappointed because they were expecting more in this workshop. To them, hair-based judgments are like bread and butter, but to many international students like me, it is indeed a great opportunity for us to learn more about the American culture.”Members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee noted the significant differences and success of this year’s seminars and presentations. Unlike previous years, committee members visited and witnessed first-hand every workshop before selecting them for the Academy’s MLK Day activities. The extra time invested into choosing the lectures ensured that their effects would be as powerful and long-lasting as possible.“The quality is guaranteed, and every workshop surely inspired students in one way or another. Just as Ms. Cary said, it’s very special how PEA takes a day to actually celebrate MLK Day,” Ma said. “We hoped, together with the preview Assembly, that this day could broaden students’ horizons. We hoped it would be a day where we could truly reflect on issues like human rights and how those issues will impact our society as a whole.”Students and faculty praised the MLK Day Committee’s thorough preparation of the day.“The Martin Luther King Jr. [Day] Committee did a great job planning out the day,” upper Jad Seligman said. “I learned a lot about the potential societal implications of small one-time actions.”Decker expressed his overall appreciation of the MLK Day Committee. "As usual, this year's MLK day was organized thoughtfully and carefully. The invited speakers were intellectually stimulating and brought original perspectives to campus,” he said. “Each year, I look forward to the Academy's celebration of MLK and our civil rights.”