Tsega Sleshi’21, Vaughn Amour’21, Olivia Pierre-Louis’21, and Janet Li’22 sharing stories of racial discrimination faced by C.A. students. (Julia DeVore’22/News)

Every year, students and faculty gather in the gym for a school-wide assembly to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But on Friday, January 15, Dr. King’s birthday, our annual MLK Day celebration took a different form. 

Upper Schoolers gathered with their community groups to watch a video featuring Dr. Losambe, Miya Tiwari’22, and seniors Tsega Sleshi, Vaughn Amour, and Olivia Pierre-Louis. The video opened with multiple quotes by Dr. King including “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” and “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

In light of recent events, especially those over the summer such as the death of George Floyd, the Black Organization of Students (BOS) and United Columbus Academy (UCA) decided discussion was not enough. Action was needed.  Halfway through the video, the presenters gave all 9th graders the opportunity to go to the theater or to remain in their seats while sophomores, juniors, and seniors had the choice to walk to the field house or stay put. Students, however, were not given any information as to what would happen if they walked out. 

Those who took the chance to leave without knowing the consequences got a small taste of the civil disobedience in which King and his followers participated.

Those who stayed finished the video then headed to the field house or theater. There, the BOS and UCA leaders shared stories of racial discrimination faced by fellow students and discussed the influence of many civil rights leaders such as Malcolm X and James Baldwin, who protested for equal rights, despite the consequences. One intention of the MLK celebrations was to these leaders’ legacies.