Student reflections on #MLKDay2021

January 15, 2021 Julie Coppens Black History Month, Democracy & Me Blog, Uncategorized 0

shutterstock_1397558525 — The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. Photo by Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. Photo by Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be… different. For all kinds of reasons. Here’s a roundup of Cincinnati-area observations set for this Monday, Jan. 18, and don’t forget the first virtual meeting of our new Freedom Friends Book Club, 7 p.m. that evening, to discuss the book Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.

To help mark this important day, we asked students at two local high schools, the Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts and Aiken H.S., to share some of their own thoughts on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and what the legendary Civil Rights leader might make of our own turbulent times:

You can also listen to a selection here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uc45n1kh9tisjag/MLK%20Day%20student%20reflections.mp3?dl=0

Thanks to teachers Harvey Lewis and Aaron Parker for helping us gather these audios, and to all the students who contributed. We hope you’ll share some of your own thoughts on #MLKDay2021 in the comments below.