Honoring MLK Day with the Power of Words

Evan Walters '28

To some schools, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is simply a national day off, maybe even an opportunity for families to take a short vacation, but at Cate, the day is used to honor Dr. King and to show how his efforts still impact today’s world. Kadeine Peterson, biology teacher, multicultural programming coordinator, and organizer of Cate’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day for the past five years, has ensured each year the day is crafted to focus on learning about Dr. King while also connecting his lessons and ideas to Cate's inquiry question of the year and to broader themes and concepts in our modern world. 

Ms. Peterson emphasized what she wanted the day's impact to be on students, saying, “I try to tie the MLK theme to be the theme of the school year. Deliberately weaving things we already talk about in classrooms and in dorms makes a more impactful product of the day.” She also noted how Martin Luther King Jr. Day is designed to fit Cates' inquiry curriculum, as “inquiry is woven into the entirety of the day, starting with the speaker who sets up the questions that students ponder through the day, and then following through with the workshops. Students are also given time for reflection so they can continue to build capacity and understand and incorporate Dr. King’s words into their own lives.” 

This year's theme was the power of words, in line with the year's motif. However, this year, not only is the theme changing as usual, but the structure and parts of the day have changed as well. In previous years, the day started with a morning session featuring a speaker, and student-presented dances and music, followed by a community conversation, and ended with faculty-led workshops. Ms. Peterson has changed the program to shorter, student-focused sessions to allow for a longer faculty portion at the end of the day. The program opened with the angelic cover of the Black National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” sung by Oyin Opawumi ‘26’, Kai Johnson ‘28, Cameron A Bitang ‘28, Kendall Wickliff ‘29, Lyla Powell ‘29, and Maree Hawkins ‘28. Shortly after, the guest keynote speaker Jordan Killebrew discussed his experiences growing up Black, the power of words, and how he has made a difference in his community. Also new to this year's program was the performance by faculty members Richard McDonald and Grant Emereson Harvey, who beautifully reenacted a powerful scene from Suzan-Lori Parks’ novel “Father Comes Home From the War.” With emotions already raised from the empowering words and performances, students and faculty participated in a case study led by adults. These Case studies were inspired by the six Cate students who returned from the SLIDE Harvard Westlake conference and wanted to implement parts of the conference into this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Each case study allowed the community to review a biased incident and reflect on and discuss how it should be handled. Students were also asked to dive deep into why others may not stand up and the impact of silence. Following the case studies was lunch, and Ms. Peterson hoped that “going into lunch after a political conversation would continue the conversations. There are 12 case studies, and each student can bring their thoughts back to each other.” 

One of the significant changes to the day this year is the hands-on role the students have in the program. Instead of the afternoon session being run by faculty, students willingly conducted their own workshops, making the program more student-led. Ms. Peterson says she “was excited about partnering with students, and it was exciting to see so much interest in student-led workshops.” Some of the workshops included Color Your Voice, Democracy Denied, and Speak My Name: Identity, Heritage and Voice, each designed by students themselves. As Cate is driven by students having a voice and taking charge, this year's workshops showcased the power of student leadership. 

By the end of the day, students and faculty gathered to watch the final performances by Jazz Band, student readings, and an interactive dance by the dance team. The time left in the day was for reflection on what had been learned while faculty continued their own workshops. Overall, this year's program was set to engage and activate student minds while also honoring and teaching the legacy of Dr. King.