Glen Cove students mark King's birthday
Landing Elementary School students burn prejudice words in a barrel during an assembly to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy. (Jan. 14, 2011) Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa
It was a scene inspired by the "I Have A Dream" speech.
Hundreds of Landing Elementary School students - from several races and ethnicities - stood holding hands around a fire singing "We Shall Overcome" outside the Glen Cove facility Friday.
"If he was here today, I would really want to thank him because he made all different colors come together," said Serena Jackson, 11, a fifth-grader, referring to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Serena, of Glen Cove, was one of the more than 300 students at the school who took part in a 90-minute assembly to commemorate the life and message of the slain civil rights leader, who was born 82 years ago Saturday.
Inside the school's auditorium, students recited poems, played musical instruments and talked about their dreams for the world. They also watched a video and went over a timeline of King's life.
Later, the students went outside and formed a circle around a barrel where they placed pieces of paper with different world problems scrawled across them into a fire.
Fifth-grader Isaiah James, 10, of Glen Cove, said he burned a piece of paper that read "no wars." He said it felt good to incinerate the words. "It's like getting rid of that problem," he said.
Isaiah's classmate Talia Sakhaee, 10, said she burned the words "drunk driving." She said, "I don't like it because there can be many accidents."
Officials from the Glen Cove Fire Department supervised the burning.
Michael Israel, the school's principal, said officials have been holding the barrel burn for more than 10 years. "Our school is a microcosm of society," he said. "We want students to get an understanding of diversity . . . I think the barrel burn . . . brings his [King's] message home."
Glen Cove Superintendent Joseph Laria addressed the students at the gathering.
"We've come a long way since the days of Rev. King but I think we have a long way to go," he said. "Diversity is an asset to be nurtured, not an impediment to be overcome."
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