Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.

The MHS community recently took time to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and learn more about his vision for a Beloved Community.

Exploring the theme “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?” — also the title of a 1967 book by Dr. King — the day began in Centennial Hall with a keynote from Brittany Barker, poet and Founder and Executive Director of Creative Soul House. The New York-based community development organization uses the arts, wellness, and justice to inspire the next generation of fully conscious people.

Brittany began her remarks with poetry, grounding her message in empowerment and the common good. “Poetry reminds me of who I am, where I am, and what I stand for,” she noted. “It can be pretty easy to forget who you are or remember your natural voice, because there are so many voices out there. You need to remember who you are, where you are, and what you stand for.”

At the same time, she added, there is much good happening now. With the click of the button, it is possible to connect with someone around the globe. Each person also has inherent gifts that can be used for good, and she asked community members to consider their own gifts — and the power in those gifts. “We are living in a time when our passions and gifts can really shape things,” she noted. “Your gift can allow you to do unpredictable and amazing things. Our gifts can help us become more confident about who we are and where we stand.”

Asking community members to consider issues important to them, Brittany noted that it is hard to influence issues without help from others, and one’s own gifts can be used to make that difference. “When the time approaches when you have to act … you can decide how you want to participate,” she said. “The only requirement is that you do something that helps someone other than you. The small voice telling you not to do that thing, that is fear, and that is self-doubt, and when you let a voice like that get too loud, it can breed chaos. Chaos is when you allow your fear to run you away from the people who can help you. Community is when you run toward those people. Which one do you think is more productive during this time in the world?”

Following Brittany’s remarks, students and adults could attend a workshop with her or join two of four other facilitated sessions:

• DE&I: The Inclusion Part — Led by MHS Diversity Coalition co-Heads Alex Gabourel ’26 and Noya Samara ’26 (co-Head Chloe Ren ’26 also helped develop the workshop but was unable to participate)

• MLK — The Man, The Myth, The Legacy, with MHS Dean of Equity and Inclusion Paula Lima Jones

• Berkshire Pride — The Pittsfield-based organization aims to provide spaces where LGBTQIA+ community members can thrive as their authentic selves.

• Spectrum — One of the School’s essential coalitions, Spectrum hosted a Pride Mural painting workshop in the Klein

This special programming was a collaboration between the MHS Horizons and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion teams. Dean of Equity and Inclusion Paula Lima Jones opened the program by introducing the day’s theme.

“We are globally in a lot of shifts and change and turmoil, and we still have choices of where we go,” Paula noted. “Do we choose fractures and divisiveness, or do we find ways to build community — across racial lines, gender lines, political lines? I am hoping that here, at Miss Hall’s, we chose community.”