The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is part of the curriculum now taught at a South Side high school formerly known best for its championship, boys basketball team.
Students
at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School, 4445 S. Drexel
Blvd., learn about the life of the young civil rights leader, who often came to
Chicago to march for equality and justice.
“This is
not just a one-time thing for us. We concentrate on teaching students and
faculty about King’s legacy, students learn about him all year through African
American history classes,” said Jeffrey Wright, principal at King high school.
“I think it is important for students attending King and any school named after
someone of importance to learn about that person as long as they are a student
at the school.”
Students learn about Dr. King through books, speeches, documentaries, poems and guest speakers.
The idea to teach students and staff about Dr. King was born out of discussions Wright said he had in 2008 with students, parents, staff and the community about the 40th anniversary of Nobel Peace Prize winner’s assassination
“That’s when I noticed too much time had passed since his death and more dialogue was needed to bring everyone abreast about his life,” Wright said. “Many public high schools are named after famous people, but too often students graduate not fully knowing what these individuals stood for.”
Next
month students and faculty at King will read and discuss the book “I Have A
Dream: Writings & Speeches that Changed the World,” and will also engage in
watching movies and documentaries that showcase Dr. King’s legacy.
Teachers
began reading the book in November and were assigned by Wright specific topics
to discuss with students.
“So if a student normally has math for second period instead of math they will learn about Dr. King from their math teacher,” Wright told the Defender. “The Dr. King teachings will be taught by all teachers.”
King
students said they now have a greater appreciation for the efforts Dr. King
made to advance equality.
Senior
Sarah Taylor, 18, has attended King high school the last four years and said
she has learned so much about the civil rights leader since attending the
school.
“Dr. King
was very persistent. He did not easily give up. I did not know a lot about his
speeches until the school started playing them,” said Taylor.
During
February at the school, various King speeches are played over the intercom for
everyone to reflect upon his life.
“His method of peacefully resolving conflict inspires me to do the same,” said Ashton Foston, a 16-year-old senior. “I like to listen to music so I look up to musicians who exemplify the same traits as Dr. King. Artists like Kanye West sing about these things all the time.”
This year
will be the first time freshman Ahmad Garner, 15, experiences the King history
lesson taught by the school.
“I know
Dr. King was a leader and a fighter and that he has done so many things for our
race but that is about it,” he said. “It will be interesting to learn about him
because I know there is so much more I do not know. His speech, ‘I have a
Dream,’ is what I have heard the most but now I am learning he had many more
famous speeches.”
To some
students like sophomore Taylor Caridine, 16, King was a role model.
“When I graduate from college I want to do something with my life that will allow me to help people. Dr. King believed in helping everyone, not just Blacks, and that is the kind of role model I want to be to others,” Caridine said.
A big part of the success of teaching students about Dr. King comes from the support Wright receives from the staff.
“I have a
wonderful group of teachers and staff here and that makes all the difference
because this is a team effort,” the principal said.
Angela
Davis has taught African American history at the school for six years and is
the coordinator for the school’s “One Book, One King” program.
“Our
staff is committed to this program and I have not had any resistance from
teachers unwilling to participate,” Davis said. “So students are taught by
white, Asian and Hispanic teachers about this great man.”
King was born Jan. 15, 1929 and was 39 years old when he died April 4, 1968 while in Memphis, Tenn. In 1948 he earned his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta and was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Copyright
2011 Chicago Defender
