Like thousands of others across the nation, Miquon families marked the anniversary of Dr. King’s birthday with song and service. “MLK Day,” always a moving occasion, was made especially poignant this year by two concurrent celebrations: the inauguration of the nation’s first black President for a second term in office, and the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
This rare confluence of historic events made it a weekend to remember and reflect deeply about the long, hard journey towards civil rights, and salute the individuals, both famous and unnamed, who have shouldered part of the burden on the road to freedom and equality for all Americans.
Lynn Hughes’ class of fifth and sixth graders presented a multi-media show at an all-school assembly. Using extracts from Langston Hughes poetry and Dr. King’s famous speeches, interspersed with favorite songs from the civil rights movement and projected images of the era, they brought to life the story and fierce passion of that era, now already two generations ago.
And in the much newer tradition of marking MLK Day with acts of service on behalf of others, Miquon’s Diversity Committee organized several projects for school families. Donations of warm coats, books, and staple food items were sorted and packed for redistribution to local organizations that serve the needy.
Greeting cards were created to make personal the connections between families who receive assistance and those who are able to offer it. Younger children particularly enjoyed decorating plant pots that were then filled with potting soil and planted with spring bulbs, to bring joyful color to veterans living under the care of the Delaware Valley Veterans Home.