Middle school and high school students of the Chattanooga Preparatory School are honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as part of their Black History Month Celebration with their Speak Like a King event.
The annual performance started in 2019, celebrates Dr. King and how his dreams live on at Chattanooga Preparatory School.
The young men who participate share their hopes and dreams for themselves and their community through a series of speeches, statements, art and musical performances which will be recorded and edited for access online.
“Our school serves boys predominately from minority communities in the Chattanooga area. Honoring the legacy of Dr. King and his message of acceptance and equality strikes home for a lot of these young men”, said Michael Dexter Howard the Director of Theatre at Chattanooga Prep. “Each of their performances inspire me and I am sure it will inspire others.”
“I am also excited,” Howard said, “that this is entirely a student product. Not just the performances but also the recording, editing and posting online.”
“Speak Like a King became an online offering”, Howard explained, “as a result of COVID. Rather than one day or evening of a live event, parents, students and the public can enjoy Speak Like a King throughout the month of February and beyond.”
The production team for Speak Like a King three ninth graders; Edwin Tomas, videographer; Nathan Strickland, photographer and Matthew Gomez, photographer.