News

MLK Day of Action

by Liz Steinhauser
Friday Jan 17, 2020

This article is from the January 16, 2020 issue of South End News.


SSYP staff person Latasha Scott with new friends at the 2019 MLK Day of Action at the Blackstone Elementary School
SSYP staff person Latasha Scott with new friends at the 2019 MLK Day of Action at the Blackstone Elementary School  

In a country increasingly divided by race, war, and wealth, people are desperately seeking leadership that speaks of love. This intersection of issues is not only what we are facing in Boston in 2020, it is also what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was facing when he stepped to the podium in Atlanta to give his 1967 speech often called, "The Three Evils of Society."
King addressed the challenges of racism, poverty and militarism, saying, "And there are times when you must take a stand that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but you must do it because it is right."
On Monday, January 20, members of the St. Stephen's community along with dozens of partner organizations will be following King's example by taking a stand during their tenth annual MLK Day of Action. Close to 200 volunteers from the South End neighborhood, suburban churches and synagogues, professional groups and non-profit organizations will come together with Blackstone School faculty for a morning of work projects to shower love (and some paint) on the school. There will also be projects to improve St. Stephen's afterschool program space.
Following a lunch of tasty food, stimulating conversations about King's legacy, and inspirational words from City Councilor Ed Flynn, there will be a teach-in focused on the issues faced by immigrant students in the Boston Public Schools. Trainers from Unafraid Educators and the Student Immigrant Movement, along with teens from St. Stephen's, will be equipping participants to work together to ensure immigrant BPS students both feel safe and are safe.
The Blackstone Elementary School is just this sort of loving community, a place where all students feel safe and can focus on learning and academic achievement. This is largely thanks to the dedicated work of the school's administrators, teachers, and staff, many of whom will be coming to the MLK Day of Action on what would otherwise be a day off from work. Teachers and volunteers will be beautifying classrooms. Parents of students will be sorting through donations for the school's compassion closet of clothes, food, and hygiene products. College students will be painting murals with inspirational messages on walls and canvases. By the end of the day, there will be many more images of the school's mascot, Shawmut the Shark, around the hallways of the school.
The Blackstone's Family and Community Engagement Coordinator, Lauren Blonde, sees how the day builds up a community of love. "MLK Day is an opportunity for volunteers and participants to bring to life our school's guiding principle of Ubuntu, which means 'I am because you are.' We are all connected because we value equality and we want our students to succeed," said Blonde. "We are honoring King's legacy with what we will do on this day," she added.
Recently, it became public that BPS has shared the information of more than 130 students with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE), jeopardizing these young people's safety and futures. To help our schools be safe havens for students, trainers will be asking participants to sign and spread a petition that will ask BPS to have clear communication with families before their information is shared with the Boston Police Department, which often leads to reports to ICE. The petition also requests more training for administrators and Boston School Police, among other demands. The petition can be found at bit.ly/NoICEinBPS
St. Stephen's Youth Programs Teen Organizer Nikkia Jean-Charles is among those excited to be part of the MLK Day of Action. She believes caring for students by making their classrooms sparkle is one of the right things to do. So is taking a stand to protect immigrant students.
"I want to surround myself with a community that is ready to learn and spread peace the way King taught," said Jean-Charles. "I want to be part of the new generation of leaders, educating others to build a better future and continuing the fight for civil rights."
To join this community of leaders at the MLK Day of Action, which starts at 9:30am at the Blackstone Elementary School, 380 Shawmut Avenue, sign up at tinyurl.com/ssypmlk2020. For more information, contact liz@ssypboston.org.
To learn more about St. Stephen's Youth Programs, visit www.ssypboston.org or drop by 419 Shawmut Avenue.
We are grateful for the Massachusetts Service Alliance, which is helping to fund and support the MLK Day of Action.


Volunteers improve the library at the Blackstone School during the 2019 MLK Day of Action