Peddie students participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. workshops on Monday, Jan. 18. Several experts on race relations and civil rights era historians came in to talk about the progress that civil rights movement leader, Martin Luther King Jr., had helped accomplish.

“We networked through faculty, parents, and board members to connect with our guests.  For example, board member Annette Liberson-Drewry recommended Mr. Wasow to us, Mr. Ed Harris is student Mecca Harris’s father, and Mr. Park and Ms. McDermott recommended Mr. Paris McLean. This was effective because the visitors already felt a connection to Peddie,” Catherine Rodrigue, associate head of school, who directed the program, stated.

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors were able to choose between nine different workshops that focused on topics ranging from the meaning of democracy to the music of Kendrick Lamar. Freshmen were required to go to a workshop entitled, “Things on Our Mind,” which focused on being comfortable with talking about sensitive issues prevalent today.

The event began at 10:00 a.m. with a chapel service dedicated to MLK, with Peddie student Nicholas Massenberg ’17, and alumnus Phil Bonaparte ’08, each performing a song. Keynote speaker Dr. Omar Wasow, a professor at Princeton University, addressed the student body about what it meant to be a democracy, and whether or not America today is a democracy. Next, students broke out into their individual workshops around different areas on campusWasow continued his discussion about democracy with those who had signed up for his session. Freshmen headed to Efros Auditorium to be assigned a student in counseling from The College of New Jersey, where they were divided into their humanities classes. They later engaged in arts and crafts activities where income inequality and resource availability were emphasized, as well as being comfortable talking about different issues.

Other workshops focused on the impact of African-American culture today, prominent black leaders, and equality in America in a modern context.

“I really enjoyed the session on Kendrick Lamar. It really opened my eyes to the importance of lyrics and the impact that they could have on racial inequality today,” Christine Ayoh ’17 said.

Rodrigue also voiced her opinion on how the workshops can help students to recognize King’s work.

“I think it’s important for all of us to recognize that Dr. King’s message remains relevant and that we still have work to do on the issues for which he worked relentlessly,” Rodrigue said.

“I definitely thought the event was a good idea and hope to see it come back next year. I attended Dr. Wasow’s workshop ‘Is America a Democracy?’ workshop, and I gained a totally different viewpoint on race relations as well as civil rights for all citizens in this country,” Andrew Mah ’18 said.