Today we broke from our typical routine to pause and reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - an event we've grappled with over the last few years hoping to make the day both educational and meaningful.
The morning began in advisory, before both middle and high schools gathered to watch a theatrical performance by Mike Wiley - a Pittsboro resident. Mike performs many of his self-scribed works across North America. Today, he took us through the familiar story of Rosa Parks and the bus boycott, and expanded our view with narratives about Claudette Colvin - a 15-year old student who was the first to be arrested for resisting bus segregation. Mike's humor and focus on audience participation pulled the entire student body into the story - incredible to watch.
The second half of our morning involved the high schoolers dividing into discussion groups. Taking lessons from the Civil Rights Era and translating them to life in 2014 was the goal, and teachers had brainstormed many themes. Racial identity, equality, immigration, and poverty were among the topics discussed in discrete groups. We were also fortunate to welcome Mr. Hubert West who spoke about his experiences as the first African-American coach at UNC, and Mrs. Janet Place who recalled her time in South Africa, working alongside the late Nelson Mandela in the anti-apartheid movement.
The realness and richness of our conversations was evident as we finished the morning back together in the Great Room. Students shared their conversations with each other, some reading "found poetry" or displaying word walls created during the session. Finding the right way to honor the legacy of Dr. King is not an easy task for any school, but I felt like we engaged in the right dialogues today. Some of our conversations felt clumsy, awkward, and took us out of our comfort zones. Yet, I come away with the sense that we all grew a little, and I can't wait for the next opportunity to come together in this way.
The morning began in advisory, before both middle and high schools gathered to watch a theatrical performance by Mike Wiley - a Pittsboro resident. Mike performs many of his self-scribed works across North America. Today, he took us through the familiar story of Rosa Parks and the bus boycott, and expanded our view with narratives about Claudette Colvin - a 15-year old student who was the first to be arrested for resisting bus segregation. Mike's humor and focus on audience participation pulled the entire student body into the story - incredible to watch.
The second half of our morning involved the high schoolers dividing into discussion groups. Taking lessons from the Civil Rights Era and translating them to life in 2014 was the goal, and teachers had brainstormed many themes. Racial identity, equality, immigration, and poverty were among the topics discussed in discrete groups. We were also fortunate to welcome Mr. Hubert West who spoke about his experiences as the first African-American coach at UNC, and Mrs. Janet Place who recalled her time in South Africa, working alongside the late Nelson Mandela in the anti-apartheid movement.
The realness and richness of our conversations was evident as we finished the morning back together in the Great Room. Students shared their conversations with each other, some reading "found poetry" or displaying word walls created during the session. Finding the right way to honor the legacy of Dr. King is not an easy task for any school, but I felt like we engaged in the right dialogues today. Some of our conversations felt clumsy, awkward, and took us out of our comfort zones. Yet, I come away with the sense that we all grew a little, and I can't wait for the next opportunity to come together in this way.