Students learn about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Students at Chester Academy in John Maggi’s Participation in Government class, along with his economics class with co-teacher Ashley Scanlon, learned a valuable lesson about the political impacts and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in preparation for the annual January holiday. 

Students in both classes discussed the idea of rights and how a government guarantees these rights are met. Mr. Maggi then proceeded to set the scene of Dr. King’s legacy, and how he was one of the most influential figures in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. 

"Teaching about the legacy of Dr. King brings out the feelings of admiration, sadness, and hope. My sincere optimism for my students is that they carry forward the lessons with vision, responsibility, and the aspiration to build a better future, just as Dr. King envisioned," said Mr. Maggi.

Both lessons had students analyze an excerpt from Dr. King’s letter from the Birmingham City Jail in 1963, when he was arrested for continuous protests after the city banned them. 

Mr. Maggi’s Participation in Government class dove into historic events led by Dr. King, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington. Students then reflected on the events, shared their views on which event impacted civic participation during the Civil Rights Movement the most, and touched upon the impacts of the movement to this day.

“I feel like it's become even bigger, the Civil Rights Movement,” said Michael Caralano, a senior in Mr. Maggi’s economics class. “Especially now since our country is kind of divided on that, and there's still a lot of fighting for it. I feel like he (MLK Jr.) was a big kickstarter for that. We talk about him every year, so he's obviously had a huge impact.”

In his economics class, students focused on the Poor People’s Campaign, a 1968 movement initiated by Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to achieve economic justice for all Americans.

“I didn't know that there was also an economic relation and correlation to the Civil Rights Movement, and how it actually helped the economy as a whole,” said senior Jonalema Williams. “I know a lot of people already knew about him (MLK Jr.), but to learn about it economically, I feel like people just brush over it because it's still an issue today in this world.”

Both lessons concluded with the classes watching Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and discussing his lasting impact on civil rights. Students reflected on what role they can play to continue Dr. King’s legacy.