Sacred Heart Community Gathers to Commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr.

Inspirational songs, powerful poetry and a lecture on equity were part of event honoring MLK

Sacred Heart University commemorated and celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., at a special event featuring keynote speaker Steve Perry, founder and head of Capital Preparatory Schools.

Students, faculty and staff packed the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts. Before Perry took the stage, the audience listened and clapped along to the uplifting songs sung by the SHU Gospel Choir and special guest Beatrice Somerville. They also heard from student Renice Desrosins, ’21, who recited her own spoken-word poems about race and being a “warrior of the sun.”

During Perry’s speech, he told students they aren’t too young to fight for justice and equity. “MLK was a revolutionary,” he said. Perry said King had a dream that his children could be judged just as kids and not by the color of their skin. “It’s not that complicated,” Perry said. He also encouraged the audience to be part of the solution and to fight racism and injustices whenever they see them in society.

At the end of the event, Perry showed a video called “Dear America” made by students from his Capital Preparatory Harbor School in Bridgeport. Those same students took the stage and spoke along to the words of the video, a message that focused on dispelling stereotypes and racism. They let people know that just because the color of their skin is different, they deserve the same respect and opportunities as everyone else. The high school students received a standing ovation.

If you are unable to view the images above, visit the MLK Commemoration photo gallery on Flickr.