Honoring MLK, Jr., Man of Ideas and Ideals

In a Saint David's tradition, to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we held a series of special Chapel talks yesterday and today for boys in Grades 3 through 8. I spoke to the boys about the 1963 March on Washington, and the significance of Dr. King's delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, 100 years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

We considered Dr. King's advocacy of peaceful protest in pursuit of a country in which the Founders' dictate "all men are created equal" would apply equally to all men (and women) of all races and creeds, and of his belief in the power of words to effect change.

At each Chapel one of the boys then read Dr. King's famous speech aloud in its entirety, to a captivated group of his peers. This year, our school theme, drawn from our mission, is Ideas and Ideals. It is so powerful for the boys to hear Dr. King's original speech, so that they can more fully appreciate his efforts in pursuit of the ideas and ideals this country was founded on, as well as relate them to issues encountered in the present day.

The Chapels closed with our William Best leading the boys in the singing of Dr. King's favorite hymn "Take My Hand, Precious Lord, Lead Me Home." It was a moving and thought provoking experience.

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