On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Deerfield Academy students and faculty came together — in class dress — to participate in a special schedule in honor of the late visionary.
Monday also marked the first day of in-person lessons since students’ arrivals into a quarantine phase on Jan. 9.
Students followed their daily schedules and partook in special MLK Day programs instead of their usual subjects. For remote learners, they fulfilled their requirements via Zoom.
Dr. Shastri Akella, an English teacher and a member of the Inclusion Committee and Service & Global Citizenship Committee, was a main force in planning the MLK Day schedule.
“The first thing that came to mind while planning for MLK Day was to find a theme to connect the various events for the day, each of which commemorated the ideologies of MLK,” Akella said. “We’ve decided to choose the theme of arts, which symbolizes a form of resistance and celebration.”
The first period started with remarks from Head of School Dr. John Austin, and classes later transitioned into watching “Soundtrack for a Revolution.” The documentary follows the 1950s to 1960s U.S. civil rights movement and music’s impact during that time, featuring various protest songs, folk tunes and spirituals.
After lunch, students had an all-school meeting with Dr. Arthur Flowers, a renowned performance poet, essayist, novelist and professor at Syracuse University. With roots in Memphis, Flowers grew up with close connections to the civil rights movement, which inspired much of his music, work and publications.
During co-curricular time, there was an optional but highly encouraged opportunity to partake in one of 14 workshops. The workshops ranged widely, some of which explored student diversity in leadership, built understanding on the arts of acceptance and forgiveness, and examined environmental justice.
Additionally, Deerfield Academy hosted two guest leaders for workshops as. Award-winning street artist Peyton Russel virtually shared artwork and murals, while discussing the elevated visibility and value of street art after the Black Lives Matter protests. Secondly, Deerfield Academy alum, and award-winning dancer, Jennifer Turnbull led a workshop exploring the critical connection between aspects of joy to movements and resistances.
Akella said these workshops were a great outlet for students to engage in dialogue with other peers under a scope of unifying interest while exploring powerful pieces of text and performance.
When asked about what he hopes students will take away from the MLK Day programs, Akella said: “In an ideal world, the conversations we have will plant seeds in students’ minds who are already thinking about topics like activism, civil rights and progression toward an open-minded society. … The workshops and discussions further nurture these thoughts and equip us with the language we can use to talk about such topics.”
In accordance with Akella’s hopes, sophomore Ashley LaBrucherie said, “After the class day ended, I thought back on how a typical MLK Day growing up would simply be seen as a long weekend to hang out with friends. However, reflecting on today’s incredible programming, I finally felt like I truly honored Dr. King by learning about how he shaped our nation’s history, and discussing with my peers on how we can apply his philosophies during our time at Deerfield.
“Compared to my perception of this day in the past,” LaBrucherie continued, “I finally understand the impact of the civil rights movement and strength in non-violent protest through the arts, and I wish that more students around the nation can engage in valuable opportunities like Deerfield has provided us with to honor Dr. King’s legacy.”
Neha B. Jampala is a sophomore at Deerfield Academy. She writes for the school newspaper, The Scroll; is the head writer for CompanyRoots, an online entrepreneurial blog; and also explored publishing a novel outside of school. As an intern for the Greenfield Recorder, she hopes to grow her skills in journalism and delve deeper into her passion for writing by sharing stories while also contributing to the community.