MLK Day of Service January 17, 2022
Service Learning at Winchester Public Schools and Network for Social Justice celebrated The MLK Day of Service today, January 17, 2022. This is an annual event dedicated to engaging the community in social justice issues. The event was virtual due to the surge in omicron variant and covid cases. This year's theme was Global Citizenship. The goal was to educate students and members of our community about social justice issues in remembrance and honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The opening ceremony included performances by WHS soloists and readings by the MLK Essay Contest winners. There were several break-out rooms to learn about how Winchester student clubs were heeding the call to service, opportunities to join discussions with Network for Social Justice volunteers and to learn about Service Learning in the Global Community. For the young, and the young at heart, there was a Creative Kids virtual room featuring learning about MLK, storytime, and a Humanae Arts lesson. The Participating Clubs and Organizations included SAVE Promise Club WHS, Latin Club WHS, Purple Club WHS, McCall Social Justice Club, and School the World. Break-out Rooms included Creative Kids Activities, Network for Social Justice, WPS Club Presentations, and Contemporary Issues Service Learning Project Presentation.
“Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
MLK Essay Contest Winner
Arya Ramachandran
MLK Day of Service is a day when we contemplate Dr. Martin Luther King’s ideals on social justice and take action toward its fulfillment.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
This quote from Dr. King summarizes what the day is all about. We are all citizens of the world and in that role, we have certain service obligations to ensure social justice for everybody everywhere. By doing so, we are ensuring that the world will be a more equitable place for future generations. Such a world benefits everybody, not just those impacted.
In an increasingly globalized society, we are all joined together by the same thread of humanity. Therefore, we cannot turn a blind eye to events occurring beyond our shores. Divisions based on race, religion, economics, or country should not matter. Social justice issues occurring in the far corners of the globe today, have the potential to become a political or a social problem for us tomorrow. The climate change that causes flooding in Bangladesh also causes forest fires in California.
Global issues also provide opportunities for us to learn and become better adept at resolving conflicts. Dr. King himself was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent methods that he used to procure India’s independence from Britain. This is in spite of the fact that the two never met.
Social justice encompasses so many different, yet interconnected, issues - racial inequality, economic disparity, religious persecution, or even the unequal effects of climate change. Based on one’s interest, there are different avenues to contribute - educating others, volunteering, raising funds, mentoring to name a few. Better yet, join an organization that is already involved in it and leverage its reach. We all need to do our part and hope that our actions, as a whole, add up to more than the sum of its parts.
The best metric to determine the greatness of a person is by seeing how many people are positively impacted by them and keep their hopes and dreams alive long after they are gone. By that yardstick, Dr. Martin Luther King is an institution unto himself. He continues to serve as an inspiration to all just like how the leaders he looked up to, did previously.
The civil rights movement spearheaded by Dr. King has influenced people of all races and institutions worldwide. No less a band than The Beatles took a stand against racial inequality by refusing to perform before a segregated audience.
All this being said, in my opinion, the greatest Dr. King quote is, "If you've got nothing worth dying for, you've got nothing worth living for.” It truly epitomizes his life and serves as an ideal for all of us to follow.
MLK Day of Service January 16, 2023
On Monday, January 16th, the Network for Social Justice and community partners welcomed hundreds of residents from Winchester and the surrounding area to the 4th annual MLK Day of Community Service at Winchester High School! There were over 25 student and community groups working on equity and inclusion in the Winchester community participating in the event. The event also marked the beginning of the take-action program for middle schoolers - Shaping a Better Tomorrow.
The Network and community partners organized a month-long collection drive to support the Malden Warming Center, a local non-profit that serves people who are experiencing homelessness during the winter months. More than 40 boxes of goods worth over $8,000 were donated. According to Malden Warming Center Board President Emily Granoff, the magnitude of this generosity will have a clear and direct benefit to many folks.