On Thursday, January 13, St. Andrew’s celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an assembly in the Lower School and a chapel service in the Middle School.

The Lower School MLK Day assembly gave students an opportunity to learn about King’s life and work through music, poetry, theatre, and the words of King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Many parents who attended were deeply moved. One characterized it as “not simply a lesson in history, but an inspirational recharge.”

The Middle School Prejudice Awareness Peer Leadership Organization (PAPLO)  made a presentation in chapel about the ways in which Dr. King’s work impacts the lives of SAS students today. Their “collaborative chapel talk” was organized around the themes of courage, equality, hope, and respect.

On Friday, January 14, at the Upper School, history teacher Fred Kountz gave a chapel talk calling students and faculty to evaluate critically the mythology of our national heroes, including Dr. King, remembering to honor his humanity as well as his achievements.

Then, on Monday, January 17, faculty, parents, and students from all three divisions, wearing blue and white and carrying the St. Andrew's banner, met at the East Mall on the University of Texas campus to march from UT to the Huston-Tillotson University campus, along with approximately 15,000 other Austinites, to honor Dr. King's legacy.