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Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium

7th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium: Courage and the Beloved Community

For the seventh year, the Episcopal community celebrated the legacy of Dr. King during the School’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium. Collaboratively organized by Episcopal’s Office of Community and Equity (OCE) and the McCain-Ravenel Center for Intellectual and Moral Courage (MRC), this campus-wide initiative is designed to bring together a variety of voices and perspectives to help students develop a deeper understanding of Dr. King’s ideals and the significant role he played in the lives of all Americans.

Reflecting on the highlights of the Symposium, assistant director of the MRC Mimi Schwanda said, "Through the lens of the beloved community, we considered Dr. King's message and how it relates to us today. The students had a chance to think and process about their own faith, about their role in making our community the best it can be, and about how to give back to our local community beyond the gates."

Sunday Vespers Service
While the Symposium is always held on the Monday of MLK Day, Sunday Vespers is traditionally dedicated to honoring Dr. King as well. This year Episcopal was treated to an incredible service that included not only a powerful and humbling homily delivered by Episcopal’s Theologian in Residence Dr. Esau McCaulley but also a mass community choir, directed by visiting conductor Arreon Harley-Emerson and featuring noted soloist Dr. Jillian Harrison-Jones. 

A much sought-after conductor and composer, Harley-Emerson is president and CEO of Equity Sings and on the faculty at Temple University and the University of Delaware. Harrison-Jones is the conductor of the New Cincinnati Women’s Choir, a college professor, and a renowned soloist. The two joined forces with the School’s student Concert Choir and an additional 35 members of the community, including faculty, staff, and faculty children, all of whom practiced in advance of the service with Director of Choral Music Mike Schmidt. In addition to a guest bassist, Schmidt played piano, and Post Office Manager Thaddius Williams P’22 played drums. The energizing performance brought attendees to their feet with “'Better” by Hezekiah Walker, “Total Praise” by Richard Smallwood, and “Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing.”
 
Schmidt, who is in his first year at Episcopal and originated the idea for the mass choir performance said, “I was thrilled with the response from the community, both from those who were willing to sing, and from the community as a whole during the service. I hope this is the first of many mass choir opportunities for our EHS.” View this year’s MLK Vespers service here.

Symposium
In opening Monday’s Symposium, director of the OCE Louis Smith said, “The further we get from Dr. King’s time, the less familiar young people, you the students, are with who he was…. He starts to take on this status of just being this icon, this guy who did a lot of civil rights stuff, and we really do not know a lot about him beyond that. And when we look at him that way, we lose sight of why we have a day set aside for this one person.” 

Reflecting on the underpinnings and impact of King’s philosophy, a panel of outside speakers discussed the elements embodied in Dr. King’s messages of nonviolence and agape love and how that helps us understand his vision of “the beloved community.” Panelists included Cleo Scott Brown of the History Matters Institute, Theologian in Residence Esau McCaulley, Rabbi Bailey Romano of Beth El Hebrew Congregation, and Imam Yahya Hendi, director of Interfaith Alliances of Islamic Circle of North America. Their conversation touched on personal experiences and reflections about the practice of agape love and aspirational hopes regarding the ideals of achieving the beloved community, as well as the challenges to doing so. 

Workshops and Service
Students spent the afternoon in small group workshops facilitated by panelists and faculty members, further exploring the themes of the morning. Time was also devoted to packing pantry boxes with volunteers from Islamic Relief USA.

The workshops included sessions on voting rights; considering the beloved community through the lenses of Judaism, Islam, and restorative practice; self-care for girls of color; music history with discussion about protest music, and Gospel music; a conversation about offensive language, a exploration into radical self-card and self-acceptance, and several poetry offerings including writing for social change and slam.

Volunteering time between and after the workshops, students and volunteers from Islamic Relief USA gathered in Flippin Field House, assembling close to 3800 boxes with pantry staples that will be delivered to vulnerable families throughout the region.

Said Durrah, assistant director of volunteer engagement with Islamic Relief USA said, “I have had the honor of working with Episcopal High School's staff and students on multiple occasions and each time I feel an increased energy from the project before it. As I climbed the stairs to view the project from above, I noticed something amazing — each student was smiling. Our staff could not stop talking about how these students were so polite, caring, and focused on achieving our goal. There is something special about this collaboration that we feel with each passing project. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said ‘Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?’ and I am so happy we could work together on MLK Day 2023 to witness the students of Episcopal High School answering that question with an amazing display of selflessness and service.” 
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