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Martin Luther King Jr. School celebrates 50th anniversary of name change
4/16/2018It’s been 50 years since some impassioned students led the movement to rename their school after Martin Luther King, Jr. Last Friday, the community turned out in force to show appreciation, and to honor Dr. King with a huge celebration at the school.
It was called “Celebrate the Legacy,” and the hundreds in attendance were treated to student performances, live music, a black history mobile museum, and a traditional soul food dinner.
Three of the eighth-grade students from 1968 described to the gathering how they and their classmates decided to pursue the name change just after Dr. King’s assassination. Just 20 days later, the group presented its proposal and petition signatures to the school board. Highland School was on its way to becoming one of the first schools in the country to be renamed after Martin Luther King, Jr. Now, 50 years later, they are continuously reminded of the importance of their achievement.
“The fact that Dr. King’s dream lives on, I’m so proud to be a part of that,” said Cathy Adams.
“Whenever I’m down, I think about those times, and that picks me up,” said Tim Wilson. “That was a big thing. Dr. King still lives in all of our hearts.”
The school community put in hours getting ready for the big night. The library was turned into a jazz club, where Portland vocalist LaRhonda Steele sang with her band. West African dancers dazzled the crowd in the cafeteria, and two sets of drill teams showed their skills.
First-grade teacher Melodie Adams led the planning effort. She said Dr. King’s teachings influence the curriculum and culture of the school every day. “Martin Luther King was very big on restorative justice, non-violence, and we try to teach our kids all kinds of those principles here,” she said.
Dr. King knew how important student voices were to the civil rights movement. “Celebrate the Legacy” was another reason to honor the ideals of respect, social justice, peaceful resistance, and the power of education that are the foundation of the Portland Public Schools campus that bears his name.
See KGW's report on the anniversary:
-David Northfield
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