MLK Day of Action: “There’re Times When You Must Take A Stand”
/By Liz Steinhauser, Senior Director of Community Engagement
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, “They’re 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 join 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. The Massachusetts Service Alliance is helping to fund and support the MLK Day of Action.
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 (BPS). Trainers from Unafraid Educators and the Student Immigrant Movement, along with teens from St. Stephen’s Organizing Team, will be equipping participants to work together to ensure immigrant BPS students both feel safe and are safe in school.
SSYP staff person Latasha Scott with new friends at the 2019 MLK Day of Action at the Blackstone Elementary School
The Blackstone Elementary School is just the sort of loving community King described and labored to create, a place where all students feel safe and can focus on learning and their 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, swimming around the hallways of the school.
The Blackstone's Family and Community Engagement Coordinator, Lauren Blonde, sees how the day builds up this 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 coming Monday," she added.
Recently, it became public that BPS had 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 all students, trainers will be asking participants to sign and spread a petition that asks BPS to have clear communication with families before their information is shared with the Boston Police Department, as this 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 this year's MLK Day of Action. She believes showing care 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 on Monday, January 20 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.
The Reverend Liz Steinhauser joined St. Stephen's staff as the Director of Youth Programs in August 2003. She brings over 30 years of professional training and experience as a youth worker and community organizer to the position. As Lead Organizer of the Boston Youth Organizing Project, Liz developed the leadership of over 750 youth. Together, they won $1 million for additional textbooks in high school classrooms, new procedures for cleaner bathrooms in the schools, and longer hours of free public transportation for students. She also did labor organizing with the Service Employees International Union in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, building a union of school support workers and in Boston, Massachusetts mobilizing community support for janitors.