MLK Day Shows Lasting Impact of Educational Trips
Towards the end of the last academic year, our then-sophomores embarked on a weeklong exploration of “Life on the River,” examining the rich intersection of history, religion, music, and art along the Mississippi. Among the places they visited were religious edifices in St. Louis, the Gibson guitar company in Nashville, Graceland in Memphis, and several civil rights sites.
Fast forward to this year when last month’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day provided the ideal opportunity for members of the class (now juniors) to look back on this learning adventure and share insights into Dr. King’s life and legacy with the rest of Upper School during chapel.
You see, part of their overnight trip to Tennessee included a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum housed in Memphis at the former Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated in 1968. During the 1950s and ’60s, the Lorraine was one of only a handful of establishments that accepted African American guests (including such talented musicians as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Wilson Pickett, all of whom recorded in Memphis).
For most of the students, “This was their first exposure to the issue of segregation,” says sophomore English teacher Jerri Davenport, one of the trip leaders. At the museum, students’ mouths dropped open as they viewed a replica of the bus where Rosa Parks took her stand—or, literally, her seat—for equal rights; saw life-size photographs of water cannons and nightsticks being turned on peaceful marchers; and walked around the charred hull of a “Freedom Riders” bus that had been torched.
Deeply touched, eight juniors volunteered to reflect on the experience, working closely with Davenport to prepare the chapel presentation. The students spoke about the qualities King embodied—such as courage, nonviolence, persistence, humility—and about what his quest for equal rights means to them today.
“What impacted me the most wasn’t the violence but the humility . . . and the spiritual strength” that African Americans demonstrated, said Otis Heimer.
“I tried to imagine what my life would be like if such discrimination went on in present day,” commented Akimie Ogilvie. “The thought of not having the friends I have now due to the color of my skin seemed so foreign to me. The thought of not being able to go to school with all of you just did not seem possible or fair.”
Their comments reminded us how far we have come, and although there is still more to be done, the presentation left listeners uplifted. De Foster summed it up well, saying, “Through seeing Dr. King’s example, I have hope.” The chapel ended with a beautiful rendition of U2’s “MLK” by the Upper School choir.