Once a year we take time out of the month of January to celebrate and remember the struggles and triumphs of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Schools all over American gather together in packed gyms and auditoriums to sit and listen to people talk about something that happened nearly 50 years ago, but still affects us today. In past years assemblies have been pretty similar, we learn about people who affected history, what those people went through, and the overall lasting effect. This year the staff and students had somewhat of a reality check during this inspirational assembly.

“I think he [Martin Luther King Jr.] pointed us in the right direction and even guided us down that road a bit, but the rest of the journey is up to us- all of us,” Mr. Parker said. Parker spoke about how it is up to us to keep Martin Luther’s dream alive and keep working towards reaching the goal of having everyone be treated equally. After hearing a speech from Parker most students reacted with a standing ovation, but later others thought they needed to state their opinions about the topic through social media. Students believed that they didn’t get to hear all of Parker’s voice during his speech, leaving them with questions that they wanted answers to.

Afterward, we got to listen to a poem written by Maya Angelou titled And Still I Rise, recited by Emma Chambers, 12. As the assembly continued, there performances by both the band and choir.

A dramatic performance was put on by fellow students playing roles of different historical figures; such as Susan B Anthony, Malcom X, Rosa Parks, and Gandhi. Finally, the hour and a half long assembly came to a conclusion with a reenactment of Martin Luther King’s famous I Have a Dream speech recited by Jeramiah Roberts, 11. Everyone who had the chance to witness the assembly put on by the ASB walked away with an important message, the dream isn’t over yet.