Greenwich Academy Honors Civil Rights Activists
Posted: February 22, 2006

I am only one person
What can one person do?
Rosa Parks
Was just one person
She said one word
She said it on December 1, 1955
One person
Said one word
She said it on a bus
She said it to the bus driver
On the Cleveland Street Bus in Montgomery
The bus driver said,
“Stand up, …woman, And give your seat to that white man!”
Rosa Parks
One Person
Said one word
That word was “no”….

As students Alex Gangitano in Group VIII and junior Sara Hardman continued to read the poem dedicated to Rosa Parks, the entire school was silent. In her speech as Middle School president, Alex had asked the audience at the Fifth Annual All-School Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly to “...remember, that like Rosa Parks and so many others, we each have the power to make a difference.”

The January assembly, "Walking for the Dream," honored Rosa Parks and other civil rights activists. A PowerPoint presentation of drawings by Group II students that represented significant moments in the Civil Rights Movement, flashed on the large screen in Raether Athletic Center before an excerpt from Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech was shown. Group X student Marlise Jean-Pierre highlighted the many contributions of Rosa Parks, and students from each division described the life and accomplishments of other women civil rights leaders, including Prudence Crandall, Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Johns. Songs Shine on Me, Living in a Holy City, Wanting Memories and Lift Every Voice and Sing were sung by different choruses as the audience joined in.

Group VII student KC Morse noted , "Prudence Crandall stood up for the rights of an equal education for girls of all races and the rights of women...We will always remember her and Rosa Parks as heroines, fighting for the rights of African Americans and women."

Students also studied the teachings of Dr. King in classes. Connecting Class was inspired to build a school based on his teachings. ”Afterwards, the students revisited the discussion ‘What was important to Dr. King," and verbalized their ideas of community, compassion, freedom and safety, such as, our school cares, we love each other and we are free," added teacher Audrey Esmond.

PreConnecting classes learned how Dr. King used words, rather than violence, to demonstrate his beliefs. Teachers Parinaz Pahlavi and Kelly Gaudet said that the message of nonviolent protest resonated with their students, “This is part of what we encourage in our classes. We discussed ways in which we could hope for a happier, more peaceful world.”

Photos of the Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly