On Jan. 16, Sidwell Friends School hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. Students, parents and teachers participated in several activities, from w riting letters to reading picture books.
The Parents Association (PA) organized the celebration and has been headed by Director of Parent Relations Kathi Webb for more than 12 years. Previously, the holiday was celebrated with speakers, service opportunities and a community Meeting for Worship on campus. However, the pandemic upended such events, and the PA pivoted to hosting the holiday online. This change shaped the current schedule of the event according to Webb, as the decision was made to celebrate the holiday in advance to encourage Sidwell faculty, staff and students to spend MLK day in their communities.
MLK celebrations are planned after the school day to cultivate community throughout all three divisions . This year, MLK Day fell on Inauguration Day, which made the celebration particularly meaningful, according to Webb. Due to the current political climate, Webb spoke about the importance of these celebrations; she noted that it is “hard to wrap your head around and makes [MLK Day celebrations] particularly poignant.”
This year, students could engage with the holiday through a community art project and interdivisional activities such as picture book reading. Junior Lexi Orr participated in the activities, and found it was a great opportunity to meet students from a diverse range of grades and immerse herself in the larger community of families. The picture books she read explored equity and justice issues from the Civil Rights Movement to the Holocaust.
In the meeting room, Sidwell community members spoke about their experiences being Black in the 1960s. Additionally, Head of School Brian Garman spoke about Sidwell’s history during the years of slavery and integration, much of which is included in the book, “The Long Conversation: 125 Years of Sidwell Friends School 1883-2008.” The intersection of Sidwell’s Quaker values and those of the Civil Rights Movement are deeply intertwined, Webb notes, referencing activist Bayard Rustin. Working closely with fellow activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rustin preached about anti-violence but received little recognition for his monumental achievements. The Sidwell Friends Community Engagement Office hopes to organize a chance for a screening of the documentary “Rustin” to further allow students to explore this intersection.
Figuring out ways to incorporate these conversations into student life has been key for celebrating the holiday. As Upper School Counselor Patrice Copeland noted, incorporating the recognition of history into MLK Day in planned advisory periods or woven into queries in Meeting For Worship is the most effective way of including these conversations into the already busy schedules of Sidwell Upper School students.
