MLK, Jr. Day: A Workshop for Everyone

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 18, 2010

Workshop Offerings

Race, Ethnicity, and Social Policy -- 1992-2010: Led by Dr. and Ms. Johnston, Faculty Emeriti

In 1992, the History Department arranged a Departmental Weekend focused on "Race, Ethnicity, and Social Policy" in the United States. As an introduction to that program, I gave a talk outlining the most important issues that we aimed to cover. Students who participate in this year's MLK workshop will be expected to read a copy of the talk before the workshop. The purpose of the workshop will be to compare conditions in the U.S. in 2010 with those in 1992, considering such questions as: how have conditions changed, for better and/or for worse? what policies have failed and succeeded? are there new issues having to do with equality and opportunity that have become as important as, or more important than, race and ethnicity? We look forward to an open-ended discussion in which all will exchange their ideas and opinions freely.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's I Have a Dream Speech--Poetry and Persuasion: Led by Ms. Sawyer-Mulligan

 Virtually every school child in the U.S. learns about Dr. King's iconic speech of 1963 as a matter of Civil Rights history. This workshop will explore the rhetoric, style, and substance of this address to gain a deeper appreciation of its value, its persuasiveness, and its legacy.

The "I am" Project: Led by Mr. Elmore

For this workshop we will, as a group, find a nice place (Outdoor Chapel, Observatory) to sit and write on those factors that help to inform us as individuals. Be it race, ethnicity, religion, cultural heritage, or family history, the goal of this workshop will be to reflect on, write about and then share with the group what you came up with. Thacher is a remarkably diverse community, but so often we are not able to learn about one another beyond the realm of our lives here at Thacher, and this will be an opportunity to do so.

Race and Boarding School: Led by Mr. Snyder

At a boarding school like Thacher, everybody has an equal shot at happiness... right? Do you believe that this school provides a comfortable, welcoming environment for anybody willing and able to do the work, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background? In this workshop, we will share our ideas about this topic as a group. We will watch a film about race at boarding school entitled "Smithsonian World: American Dream at Groton," and we will follow it with a discussion about how the challenges presented in the film do or do not apply to Thacher.

African American Ancestry: Led by Mr. McGowan

 For many Americans, family history can be traced back to a particular "place of origin," such as a city in Ireland, a small village in Mexico, or a region of China, Russia, or Italy. For most African Americans, however, family history is much more difficult to trace, complicated largely by the presence of slavery for over two-hundred years in the present-day United States. In this workshop, we will discuss the construction of ethnic identity and the importance of tracing one's roots to a particular place. In order to better understand how these issues relate to African Americans, we will watch parts of Henry Louis Gates' documentary, "African Americans' Lives," which explores the fascinating and surprising family histories of celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Chris Rock, and Morgan Freeman.

Protest Songs of the Civil Rights Movement: Led by Mr. Haggard

 Music played a significant role in the protests in the Civil Rights Movement. In this workshop, we will explore the music of the era --- listening to songs and discussing their role in the Civil Rights Movement.

Race, Representation, Censorship, and Hollywood: Led by Ms. Nicole Haggard CdeP 2000 (presently at work on her PhD in American Studies with an emphasis in Race and Gender Representation in Film)

 This workshop will explore Hollywood's history of representing African-Americans in film. From Birth of a Nation to Precious, Hollywood has systematically controlled what it means to be Black in American culture. From this class you will learn about "The Production Code," Hollywood's rules of what could and could not be in the movies, Film Language, Character Tropes, and how all of these apply to Racial Representation. We will watch film clips, utilizing what we have learned in order to analyze them, and discuss as a group the various ways popular cinema reflects and directs our cultural understanding of identity and difference.

Sunday School Lessons and Civil Rights Leadership: Led by Mr. Winters

 Gleaning information of Christian teachings from the Bible, we’ll see how young Martin Luther King Junior learned tolerance, non-violence, equality, and personal responsibility. From the simplest Sunday School songs to the parables of Jesus, King was given the frame-work for his activism in the humble Baptist Church where he was raised. The workshop will explore how Martin Luther King Junior's understanding of civil rights were instilled in his mind and heart long before he entered the political arena.

Sexual Identity and How to Be an Ally: Led by Ms. E. Adams, CdeP 2005, Princeton 2010

 Ellen Adams will conduct a workshop that explores the different identities of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community and different ways we can be an ally.

 A founder of our Gay Straight Alliance, Ellen studies Comparative Literature in French and Spanish, as well as Creative Writing and Urban Studies at Princeton University and serves as an LGBT peer educator, as well as an officer for several of the University’s LGBT organizations, including the recently formed Transgender Taskforce. Nationally, Ellen is a member of the Matthew Shepard Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council.

Perspectives on What Boarding School Life is Like for a Person of Color: Led by Mr. Carney and Ms. E. Jones

 Ms. Jones and Mr. Carney will present information that examines Ms. Jones' personal experiences at an independent school and her recent findings from the NAIS People of Color Annual Conference, while Mr. Carney will share a presentation he gave to the faculty five years ago that addressed the following: To what degree do students of color at The Thacher School perceive that their racial status is/was a defining variable in their experience, and what can be done, if anything, to enhance this experience for themselves and/or for others.

We hope to provide an informative and engaging presentation that will generate meaningful discussions about an important aspect about Thacher life.

"A Letter from a Birmingham Jail": Led by Mr. Perry

 We will read and discuss Martin Luther King’s famous letter paying particular attention to the construction of his argument against “following the law,” if it breaks “moral law.” We will try to decide if his argument holds water today as we see the results of Guantanamo Bay prisoner detainment and release, gun-toting attendees to presidential events, terrorist attacks on civilians, and the consistent erosion of personal privacy. Some knowledge of Thoreau’s “Resistance to Civil Government” would be helpful, but not required.

To enjoy this seminar to its fullest extent, a quick reading of the essay the previous night is necessary.

The Siege of Wounded Knee -- Native American Civil Rights: Led by Native American filmmaker Julianna Brannum

 Discuss and screen episode five, "Wounded Knee" of the PBS documentary "We Shall Remain" with the Native American documentary filmmaker Julianna Brannum who produced this film. The film tells the gripping story of the 1973 siege of Wounded Knee, examining the broad political and economic forces that led to the emergence of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1960s.

For 71 days, activists engaged in a standoff with the US government, bringing the nation's attention to the desperate attention conditions on Indian reservations. Perhaps even more important, the siege united peoples across tribes, creating a pan-Indian identity and a new path into the future.

 Covert Racism: Led by Ms. Mazzola and Mr. Mieszczanski

 We will examine the idea of covert racism - the idea that one doesn't believe himself or herself to have racial bias, but through action, shows that indeed that one holds subconscious biases regarding race, ethnicity, or religion. We will watch a series of video clips displaying real-life examples of covert racism and then discuss ways that we, ourselves, might hold racial stereotypes of which we are unaware. The workshop will be interactive and will include a quiz that helps us to identify areas where we might be susceptible to covert racism.

Macho Men and Blonde Bimbos: Gender Bias in Society and at School: Led by Sra. Ortiz and Ms. Perry

 In this workshop we will use clips from various media sources (Legally Blonde, King of Queens, and Clueless, newspaper articles, and radio broadcasts) as well as data from the recent school surveys to generate discussion on the presentation of men and women/boys and girls in the media and the status of gender equity, both in the United States in general and at Thacher in particular.

Arabic Writing: Led by Mouna Lawrence

 Mouna will lead a workshop in which she teaches the art of Arabic writing. She will present the basics and provide time for practice of the art.