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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Lessons
Thanks to snow days in early January, this year MCAS schools were in session on January 19th, the Federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Students across the district took part in a number of special learning activities that focused on Dr. King's legacy and impact on U. S. history. Read about a few of these opportunities below!
(Check back for more photos soon!)
Forty students from Michigan City High School (pictured here with counselors and MCAS Superintendent Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins) attended the Martin Luther King Day community breakfast at Purdue North Central. The keynote speaker was Dr. John Arthur Nunes of Valparaiso University, and an excerpt of the play "Rickey" was performed. (Photo Courtesy of Alpha Yearbook)
Thanks to the Michigan City Human Rights Commission and the Commission on the Social Status of African-American Males, close to 200 MCHS students attended the movie "Selma" to learn more about the civil rights movement. Read more about this in the News Dispatch!
(Photo courtesy of The News Dispatch)
MCHS student delegates also attended a "S.T.A.N.D." conference at Merrillville High School, exploring topics relating to diversity, community service, teen issues, and Dr. King.
Cadets in the JROTC program at MCHS studied King’s “I
Have a Dream Speech” during their unit on public speaking. On the holiday,
cadets reviewed his life and the vision he provided for America.Cadet 2nd Lieutenant Quinton Dixon, one of three officers in the JROTC, stated that Dr.
King’s ability to accomplish what he did nonviolently is what impressed him the
most. “To be able to change the thinking
of an entire country and persuade our government to pass the Civil Rights Act
was such a huge success, and he did it without people getting hurt,” said Dixon.
At Lake Hills Elementary School, students attended an assembly about the life and legacy of Dr. King. MCAS Superintendent Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins and EAP Supervisor Milton Malone both shared reflections and first-hand experiences they had with Dr. King. The featured speaker was Professor Theo Williams of Bethel College, who spoke to students on the topic, "What is the content of your character?" Students in grades 3-6 read excerpts of the "I Have a Dream" speech, which was followed by a choral performance of "We Shall Overcome."