Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Celebration

January 15, 2013 was a pleasant day at the Asbury Park Middle School. This was a day where faculty and staff paid homage to the legendary leader of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights movement assembly

To honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mrs. Major Phillips, special education teacher, put together ran assembly that covered the heart of King’s message during the Civil Rights movement.

That message was “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

During the course of the assembly, the meaning of King’s message was supported by Amani Gilliam’s, student council president of Asbury Park Middle School, reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation freed all the slaves in the southern states during the time of the Civil War.

We Shall Overcome

The assembly also utilized the Asbury Park Middle School’s chorus in their singing of “We Shall Overcome.” The author of this song was unknown but the message stands hand in hand with that of Dr. King’s.

We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

We’ll walk hand in hand,
We’ll walk hand in hand,
We’ll walk hand in hand, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,

We shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,

We shall all be free,
We shall all be free,
We shall all be free, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,

We are not afraid,
We are not afraid,
We are not afraid, TODAY

Oh, deep in my heart,

We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

Besides the chorus, the audience was involved in its own singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” This song was written by James Weldon Johnson.

Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing grise, high as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

Finally, the assembly ended with a message from Minister Jamie Gates and Amir Davis,’ fifth grade student of Asbury Park Middle School, reading of “I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. Once the assembly was over, Dr. King’s message proved to be alive and well.

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