On Friday, January 18, the Dana Hall student body gathered together to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to honor his legacy. The words of his “I Have a Dream” speech rang out in the silent Waldo Auditorium and his call for justice was presented to those assembled: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice.”

The tri-heads of S.H.A.D.E.S. (Sisters Honoring All Diasporas and Enlightening Society) challenged the Dana community to combat injustice by respecting people from every race, culture, and way of life. The theme of this year’s MLK Convocation comes from a quote by journalist and author Maria Hinojosa:

“Multiculturalism is the ability to see yourself in the person most unlike you. If you can see yourself in the person most unlike you, what is there to fear?”

In an effort to “link” each student to someone she might not know, the students were randomly assigned to small groups. Within the groups, the girls were asked to find a common bond with each person in the room. Some girls learned they enjoyed the same sports or types of music, and others discovered they were born in the same state. The students were able to find “themselves” in people they did not know. During the activity the students wrote their links on pieces of paper and hooked them together. When the groups returned to Waldo, the whole school linked together, forming one long continuous chain.