At Fountain Valley School, MLK Day isn’t a day off… it’s a day on. Students spent the day engaged in workshops designed to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through action, reflection, and honest conversation about race, identity, and community.

“Today was about reflecting on the lessons of Dr. King and the movements he inspired,” said Assistant Head of School Chuck Greene. “For us here on campus, it’s an opportunity to practice humility, acknowledge the stories of others, share our own stories, and think about the work it takes to live in a generative community with one another. If we can figure out how to do that together, that means today was a successful day.”

Rather than focusing on a single definition of service, the day centered on why engagement matters, reinforced by Mr. Greene’s reminder that “democracy and citizenship are an active sport—you can’t sit on the sidelines.” Across campus, students were asked to slow down, listen closely, and consider perspectives beyond their own.

“Kids were encouraged to focus a little less on themselves and more on others,” said guest speaker Shantelle Bridges, “and to practice the values Dr. King represented so we can make this a better place.”

Service was rooted in real-world impact. While assembling care bags for people experiencing homelessness in Colorado Springs, students connected hands-on work with deeper conversations about systemic inequality and racial disparities.

Workshops centered on art, language, and culture helped students explore how identity is shaped—and reshaped—over time. In conversations about Afrofuturism, students examined how imagination can be a powerful response to injustice, offering new ways to envision belonging and possibility. Elsewhere, students reflected on language, storytelling, and the importance of voice, discussing how words can both harm and heal.

Several workshops created space for deeply personal reflection. Sessions focused on mixed-race identity and the cultural significance of Black women’s hair invited students to consider how identity can be both celebrated and constrained.

Students also explored overlooked narratives in American history, from Black cowboys of the West to the legacy of the Negro Leagues, examining how stories are remembered (or forgotten) depending on who is telling them. Through film, discussion, and creative work, students reflected on how reclaiming these histories can shift understanding in the present.

One workshop, Freedom Sounds, explored how music has long served as a powerful tool for protest, connection, and hope. Students examined how songs during the Civil Rights Movement were used to unite communities, communicate shared struggle, and sustain momentum in the face of injustice. The workshop emphasized that music is not just background or entertainment, but a form of storytelling that carries history, emotion, and purpose. As facilitator Kamiyah Woodard ’27 reflected, “I hope people took away that music is more than just words and sounds… it’s actually a story that’s being told.”

Community was a recurring theme throughout the day. Whether creating a shared quilt, cooking together, or practicing how to interrupt microaggressions, students were encouraged to think about their role in shaping the culture around them. The focus was not on having the right answers, but on being willing to engage, speak up, and listen.

Students left with new questions and deeper understanding, carrying the reminder that Dr. King’s legacy is not confined to history books, but lived out in the choices we make—big and small—every single day.