As we urgently waited for the days between winter and mid-winter break, some of us may have been tempted to view MLK day like any other national holiday, just another day off. Although it does serve as a long weekend, the importance of reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy not only pays tribute to him, but also shows respect. Between King’s incredible contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and efforts to help end segregation, MLK Day is a great opportunity to honor him and recognize everything he fought for. With this, Berkley High School’s Diversity Council had many wise words to share on the subject, events you can attend, and ideas on how to spend MLK Day. Therefore, it is never too late to start and encourage an annual tradition for the special day.
Firstly, our Diversity Council was very excited to celebrate this impactful day by participating in the Royal Oak parade. Hosted by school districts of Berkley, Clawson, and Royal Oak, the parade is a celebration of unity to learn more about Dr. King. It included upbeat music and sign-making for the “Freedom Walk,” which was through the Berkley High School Neighborhood at 9:30 am. The first 300 guests received a commemorative event button. All ages and members of the community were invited to attend. The Diversity Council’s class representatives joined and supported the parade team, as well as helped make the parade as memorable as possible.
Secondly, the Diversity Council created a display case that is available to see in the language hallway. The display includes a drawing of King with many of his famous quotes surrounding it. Taylor Ricks, a member of the Diversity Council, explains, “We worked hard and did a lot of research to ensure that Martin Luther King Jr.’s display case honors and explains everything that he fought for. We hope that staff and students take a little time to stop by and view the case to learn educating quotes from King and get a better understanding of King’s goal.”
Thirdly, Berkley High School hosted a joint “Day On, Not a Day Off” event from 9:00-11:30 am to honor King through meaningful action, just like he did when honoring people of all backgrounds to come together and fight for equality. The “Day On, Not a Day Off” event was similar to the parade. From 9:00-9:30 am, guests enjoyed breakfast, music, and sign-making. At 9:30 am, guests then joined the Freedom Walk. Following the walk, the public was invited to participate in many service projects at Berkley High School, including blanket making for those in the hospital, sorting donations of food and home items for organizations that support people in need in Metro Detroit, making lunches for the homeless population, and creating greeting cards for first responders, veterans, and educators to lift them up and acknowledge them for the service they provide to the public. Donations also included toiletries, children’s books, clothing, etc. The event committee collected these donations to support Redford Brightmoor Initiative, Cass Community Social Services, Judson Center, Royal Oak First United Methodist Church, and The Welcome Inn. The Berkley, Clawson, and Royal Oak community encouraged everyone to join them in “Embodying Dr. King’s vision of service and unity.”
Initially, with daily updates from Diversity Council throughout MLK week in our announcements that dive deeper into King’s life, our Berkley community’s events, and more information on why he deserves more recognition from our society, you can now take some time out of your day off to remember why this day is significant. As we honor King by taking this day off, let us remember that he fought for justice and equality. This day serves not only as a time to reflect on his contributions but also as a call to continue working towards the dream of a more just society for everyone.
