BY ALICE MA

On Jan. 13, MHS celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with its annual assembly, which featured fifteen dancing, singing and instrumental performances by MHS students. The Multicultural Club and its advisor, history teacher Shannon Turner-Porter, organized the event.

The assembly’s theme this year was titled “Breaking Barriers,” which centered around the belief that the barriers which separate people—due to race, ethnicity, ideals, or society—should be broken down. Everybody is interdependent upon one another, and as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”

Throughout the assembly, Porter used quotes by Mr. King to introduce several themes reminiscent of the ideals of the Civil Right movement, including the “affirmation of peace”, the power of love as the “supreme unifying principle of life” and overcoming barriers in a nonviolent, but persistent, way.

The Jazz band played feel-good music as the audience walked in.

In the fist performance, members of the Multicultural Club, all wearing red MLK t-shirts, danced and sang “I Believe.” Next, The Force played an explosive ensemble using xylophones and an assortment of drums. Themusic continued into the next act when the Choir performed “Lean on Me”, a song which promotes connecting with other people and rising above the walls of separation.

Krazii Krew then danced to a mix of music and incorporated both Hip-hop and Jazz dance moves, right before soloist Emily Jacob ’14 sang “Imagine,” a John Lennon song which sends a message of peace.

Teddy Bellis ’13 and Bob Phillips ’13 then took the stage and performed their own rendition of Nina Simone’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.” Bellis sang and played the saxophone while Phillips played the guitar.

At the halfway mark of the assembly, a clip about The Freedom Riders was shown. The Freedom Riders were a group of people of mixed race, gender and age. As a group, they set out on bus rides through the Deep South. Their goal was to protest racial segregation through deliberate and nonviolent integration. Although they encountered much hostility—one bus even was set aflame—their story and spirit were remarkable. The Riders were actively trying to break down the oppressive boundaries of segregation and embody the hopes of the Civil Rights movement.

Just after the clip finished, Cheyenne Elliot ’12 sang John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change.” The song reflected the ideals of the Freedom Riders, who, indeed, were waiting for a big change.

In the 10th act, the dance group Dreamers Breaking Free performed “City on Our Knees,” which portrayed people coming together, free from judgment.

Funkapella sang the upbeat and bubbly song, “One Love One Heart,” which is about mankind coming together in happiness. Daniel Baigel ‘13 beat-boxed, while the other Funkapella members took turns singing solos.

The Steppers stomped and clapped in a rhythmic routine.

The Ukulele Club strummed and sang “My Girl,” a breezy and light-hearted number that evoked themes of love and happiness.

The Tap Team was “shuffling” as they tapped and danced on stage.

Jasmine Kerr ’14 performed a solo rendition of Adele’s “Turning Tables.”

In the last performance, Anthony Zamboli ’13 rapped a remix of “Juicy” by the Notorious B.I.G. while members of the Multicultural Club sang in the background.

Samantha Reid ‘12, president of the multicultural club, said this was her last year working on the assembly. In regard to why the theme of “Breaking Barriers” was chosen, she said, “We chose the theme “breaking barriers today like MLK” because we acknowledged that every race experiences hardships. We didn’t want to just zone in on the black race.”

History teacher Craig Goldberg commented, “It was a wonderful showcase of the various talents of our students, while also reminding us of Dr. King’s very important message.”

Sarah Phillips ‘13 was very inspired by the assembly and said, “I felt that it was a great learning experience for all.” Emily Kaplan-Levenson, ‘13 agreed. “Our school has so much talent—it’s amazing. The assembly is always so inspiring,” she said.

Joby Bernstein ’13 commented, “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” The MLK assembly and commemoration is a small step, but it’s also an important part of that struggle.

Porter was very satisfied with the assembly and remarked, “The important thing was the idea that students were participating and that they were demonstrating their talents in different areas. It was coming together as a community.”

When asked why this assembly was so significant, Porter said, “I was a part of the Civil Rights movement. Dr. King himself spoke at my college. I’ve always felt that we need to remember his significance. We need to keep Dr. King’s memory and the ideas of the Civil Rights movement alive.”