Rising Together to Honor the Legacy of Dr. King

1/31/2025

From the inspiring opening assembly to the joyful performances at the final gathering, it was a day devoted to the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., under the theme of "A Coalition for Change: Rising Together.”

View Photo Gallery

This year’s commemoration in both divisions focused on the 1950s and 1960s civil rights movement with a spotlight on youth activism, Dr. King’s Westchester County visits and the impact of music and political art of the era. Students had the opportunity to explore these topics with their advisory groups through lessons designed by faculty. Extra time for processing and holding further discussions was also made available to students.

The day’s events and activities were organized by The Center’s Selas Douglas, associate head for inclusive excellence, Esperanza Borrero, dean for inclusive excellence and Marie-Louise Miller, associate dean of purposeful engagement.

“We were hoping to find the balance between having an engaging day that tapped into some joy and expanding our knowledge of how communities responded to the challenges of the civil rights era,” explained Douglas.

Assembly speakers throughout the day included Kaci Collins-Jordan, upper school history and religion teacher, Juan Torres ’25, diversity ambassador co-chair, Adji Ngom ’25, diversity ambassador co-chair, Jules Jorsling ’29, middle school DEI club co-chair, Angus McCallum ’29, middle school DEI club co-chair and Jordan Lee ’25 and Kaela Riley ’26, members of SCEEM (Students of Color Empowering Each Other through Mentorship).

“One of my highlights from the day was seeing the middle school DEI co-chairs lead parts of the middle school assembly as well as the all-school assembly,” said Douglas. “It takes a lot of preparation and courage to feel comfortable being called on to perform in front of such a big audience, and they did such a fantastic job.”

During the all-school assembly, Jorsling spoke about her personal experiences as “a Black girl navigating middle school.”

“I spoke about the hurtful names I was often called—names that were not my own—and the impact those experiences had on me. Being labeled in such a way affected my self-esteem and how I saw myself with others,” she shared. “However, when I came to Masters, I experienced a profound change. I felt a sense of inclusion and belonging.”

Both divisions gathered in the Fonseca Center gym to close out the day with music, dance, poetry and reflections. Emilia Maschang ’28 performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — often referred to as the Black national anthem, followed by performances by faculty and students including Alice Hoffman ’29, 4 on 49, Positive Rhythm, Band Jem and MUSE.

“As I am getting ready to graduate, I need our community to remain true to its values: being a power for good in the world,” shared Torres. “For me, that means never neglecting someone’s humanity. To others, it may mean something different. Nevertheless, we remain united under the idea of progress, not just for ourselves, but for others. We will strive forward in community.”