Author: Francesca Ramos

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Sem

By Nahisha Pokhrel ’23

Martin Luther King Day is celebrated each year as a national holiday in America to commemorate the Civil Rights Movement put forth by Martin Luther King Jr. The Students of Color Association presented an assembly regarding Martin Luther King to celebrate his legacy. 

The first speaker was Mr. Tom Morris, who gave a presentation on his interest and study of Martin Lurther King Jr., during his 15 years in Memphis, Tennessee. He displayed some of Martin Luther King’s famous speeches, including “On the Mountaintop,” and “I Have a Dream.” Mr. Morris revealed that Martin Luther King Jr. used many Biblical references to the Civil Rights Movement in these speeches. For example, Mr. Morris compared MLK’s Civil Rights Movement to the Exodus and slavery in Eygpt to the Promise Land. Martin Luther King Jr. was also a great follower of Mahatma Gandhi during his non-violence movement, and, instead of fighting back, he felt that he could persevere with peaceful movements.

Also, the Film Club presented an interesting video regarding student opinions on Martin Luther King Jr. Most of the students’ explained  MLK was a great man in history, a fantastic activist, and a radical role model. Most students also added that he is the reason they are able to be at Sem, a school full of so many cultures, races, and ethnicities. 

After the video, Glynis Johns, a doctoral student at Rutgers University and the CEO of the Black Scranton Project, came to speak at the assembly. She is 26 years old, and she explained the impressive work Martin Lurther King Jr. had already completed by the time he was her age. Johns also explained that MLK gave more than 276 speeches and wrote books while guiding strikes. She presented Martin Lurther King Jr., as a human rather than just an idol. Additionally, Johns explained how many local areas during the Civil Rights Movement had their own activists who supported other causes, like women who marched in a crowd in the Civil Rights Movement. Johns also explained that because she was sparked to make African Americans feel more at home in Scranton, she created the Black Scranton Project. Overall, SOCA presented an inspiring and well-received assembly that will be remembered by all students for the rest of the year.