MLK Day is a federal holiday in the United States dedicated to remembering and honoring the life and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an outspoken civil rights movement activist who advocated for racial equality and justice. He promoted the qualities of empathy, kindness, and love through nonviolent protests, boycotts, and fought against segregation to shape the present society. Likewise, the annual MLK convocation tries to build upon these themes by offering the Loomis community an opportunity to look back on the legacy of Dr. King and its relevance in the world today.
Although it’s evident that much of Dr. King’s work was his own, the people around him also had an immense impact on the message he wanted to spread and the values he hoped to pass on. In other words, as Maleah Cogle ’26 puts it, “They helped him achieve greatness.” Accordingly, when the MLK week student coordinator was asked what message she hopes comes out of the convocation, Cogle ’26 mentioned Dr. King’s extraordinary connection to the people around him. “Martin Luther King Jr.’s work was from him, but also from the people around him… And so [the message] is to make sure that you’re achieving your goals, leaning on the people around you and just kind of all working together as a community to make change in whatever people are really interested in.”
Cogle ’26 also shared why she decided to become a student organizer who takes part in planning and overseeing the execution of MLK week this year. As a staunch and avid participant of MLK days in the past herself, through dancing in the STEP team performances, Maleah comments, “We saw the potential, saw how this [week] could be a really engaging experience for everyone… I was interested in making sure that Loomis advanced together on this day to get the most out of it, not just putting your head down and saying, ‘Oh, I have to do these workshops,” or I have to go to this convocation and zone out.’”
It’s important to reflect upon the significance of Dr. King’s legacy in relation to the Loomis community and contemplate the relevance of the themes and emotions this convocation evokes according to Dr. Roland Davis, Director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging and the primary faculty member responsible for all MLK related events. As Dr. Davis elaborates, “Lots of things are happening in the world that are confusing and complex, and thinking about that in relation to our school theme for the year, [what it means to be human] is an important question to be asking ourselves at the time of Dr. King’s commemoration.” Adding onto Dr. King’s famous ideal for what he called “the beloved community,” an inclusive society in which people embraced each other regardless of their differences, Dr. Davis challenges the Loomis Chaffee community to consider “what it means to be in community with one another,” and the ways in which Loomis can “come together and be in community.”
TK Ideriah ’27, the other MLK week student organizer, believes that this convocation is a crucial opportunity that gives a stage to address the nuanced issues pertaining Dr. King’s legacy today. “I think it’s always important to address the fact that there are minorities in our community, and there are people that are overlooked,” TK says. “And rather than just letting this fact continue, we should find time in our year, even if it’s just a week or a day, to embrace these people and let them know they are seen and appreciated.”
