Divisions Celebrate and Honor the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, each division at CCES spent time reflecting on his legacy and how it might shape our path forward. 

A major proponent of community involvement, Dr. King believed that individuals had the power to bring about positive change through collective action. The Upper School celebrated this value through a division-wide service day, scattering Upper Schoolers all across the Greenville community. The service projects varied from serving as “playground buddies” at A Child’s Haven, an organization that treats children with developmental delays, to playing games with the residents at Pine Grove on Pelham, an assisted living and memory care facility. A vast majority of the students enjoyed the beautiful outdoors by cleaning up litter and gardening across the city. Senior student, Elise Reed ‘24, visited the Mauldin Cultural Center with her advisory and spent the morning preparing the stage for upcoming theater productions.  Reflecting upon the day, she said, “service is important because it bridges the gap between our school and the entire Greenville community, allowing us to make an impact on the lives of those in need.” 

In the Middle School, Emmy award-winning slam poet, Boris Rogers, visited the MLK Morning Prayer Service and shared his poetry, in which he wrote about America's racial history, loving who you are, and stories from his own life. He then led a poetry workshop with our 8th grade class, encouraging students to peacefully stand up for equality and what is right. In advisory, students are working on their own slam poetry that will culminate with a slam poetry competition. Winners of the poetry competition will share their work during next week's Monday Morning Prayer service. Last week, students also had the opportunity to explore Greenville and CCES history – the Middle School News Team interviewed Ms. Josie Burdine about the ways in which race relations have evolved and changed over the decades. This led to a reflection amongst students and their advisors about how things are different from the past now and how things might change in the future. 

First and second graders had special guests visit their classrooms from KIND of the Upstate, an organization founded to help make the Upstate community a more inclusive place for people with disabilities. Riley Bignon ‘05 (mother to first grader, Anna Bates Dannelly), Gina Haskell ‘77 (grandmother to Anna Bates), Kate Madden (mother to Eliza Madden), and Kate Carlson (mother to Henry and Charles Carlson) visited each class to remind students that everyone has differences, and it matters how we treat all people. They used the book, Everyone Belongs by Heather Avis, to encourage students to not only value all people but also make room for their differences. The book repeated the line, "Exactly who you are is exactly who we pick. We know everyone's different, no two are the same. You belong..."  The book and the speakers drove home the point that we can all provide "a way for each kid to grow" as we make space for everyone to feel a sense of belonging. 

As we conclude our remembrance of Dr. King, these experiences echo his timeless message of unity, compassion, and the collective responsibility we share in shaping a more just and inclusive future.