Students give sign-language tribute to MLK

Gregory Taylor, 10, stood in front of parents and students at Grand Avenue School on Friday and delivered - in silence - a message he's practiced for weeks.

"I believe all people are equal," he said in sign language, reiterating one of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most cherished ideals.

Gregory, wearing a perfectly pressed pale blue vest and a matching shirt and tie, was one of nine special education students at the North Baldwin school who paid tribute to King's legacy in a special assembly.

The event culminated in students signing the song "Happy Birthday" in honor of the slain civil rights leader, who would have been 82 Saturday.

Grand Avenue is one of many institutions across Long Island commemorating King's legacy this month. Schools will be closed Monday for the observance of Martin Luther King Day.

Also Friday, at a memorial service in Great Neck, state Education Commissioner David Steiner invoked King's love for great works of philosophy in urging that all students read challenging books, rather than watered-down versions. Steiner noted that King quoted Socrates in defending his use of civil disobedience to break down racial barriers. "We believe with him that ideas change the world," Steiner told a multiracial audience of about 200 at Temple Beth-El.

Grand Avenue in the Uniondale district chose sign language to honor King in part because it pays homage to the ideals of acceptance and equality.

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Kimberly Robinson, 10, gave a near-perfect delivery when she stood and signed, "I believe in justice for all."

Kimberly said she took a liking to sign language right away and has been building her vocabulary for months.

Her teacher, Cathleen McCrystal, said sign language has helped build her students' confidence as well as social and fine motor skills. She said some students find signing an easier way to communicate.

"They embraced it," she said. "It's opened a whole new world that they've never experienced before."

McCrystal said students learned to sign their names in September, then learned about the holidays, memorizing the signs for Santa and reindeer, among others.

She said they've commemorated many celebrations - including Halloween and a teacher's engagement - using sign language.

McCrystal thought King's birthday would be a perfect time to show off their skills. She hopes that by committing each phrase to memory, her students will retain what they've been told about him.

"They learned to sign pieces of his life," she said.

Akilah Rance, 30, said her daughter Kiara, 10, even signs at home. "She knows 'thank you,' 'friend' and 'love.' "

"It's something she'll use for the rest of her life," Rance said before snapping one last photo.