On Monday, January 15th, the Cate community celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by delving into this year’s theme, “The Power of Protest: From King to Hip-Hop.” Through engaging workshops, performances, and guest speaker, Ademola Oyewole-Davis, the Cate community enhanced their understanding of the past and present.
Guest speaker, singer, poet, writer, educator, and activist, Ademola Oyewole-Davis, shared his views on the evolution and revolution of different genres of music including hip-hop and rap, and the significance and impact that music has on our self-expression. While there were mixed opinions, like every convocation, the overall consensus seemed that the community valued what he had to say and appreciated his ability to speak to current trends in the music industry.
Following Ademola, the Cate community gathered in Hitchcock Theatre for a celebration of music with faculty and student performances. This included Cate School’s very own marching band, a student-choreographed majorette dance, and original poetry from Yutopia Essex, Cate’s Director of People and Belonging.
After a day of workshops and community conversations, the day of celebration commenced in the Katharine Thayer Memorial Chapel with a moving performance of Glory by Cate’s orchestra and vocal ensemble groups.
To get an insider perspective on what it was like to be both a student and a teacher on MLK day, Zoë Flint, a current Junior at Cate, was asked to share her experience in helping to prepare for and teach a workshop. Dr. Moore’s and Zoë’s workshop entitled, “Beyond Harlem: Black Renaissance(s) as Resistance,” explored the resistance that comes with revolution and the factors that cultivate the self-representation of Black leaders and engendered cultural rebirth. Beyoncé's album Renaissance, inspired by the historical legacy of Black women’s resistance, was an example of Black women's roles in these renaissances through art.
When asked what the process of preparing and teaching a workshop was like and if there was anything she would have done differently, she responded, “It was pretty simple. I met with Dr. Moore and we discussed what we want to touch on in our lesson, what we want it to look like, and what we want people to experience. Most of what I contributed was stuff that I had already written for a presentation…I helped Dr. Moore structure the workshop and carry it out on MLK day… I thought it was pretty successful. Maybe I would’ve started sooner… I procrastinated and my slides were a bit rushed but I think it was fine.”
When asked what her favorite part of the day was she said, “I loved the marching band. I thought that was so fun, so cool. I didn’t know we had that many people at this school who could play all those different instruments and I loved seeing Coach Peterson with the big drum. I also liked the majorette dancing. That was really good.”
The last question asked of Zoë was “How do you feel the theme “The Power of Protest: From King to Hip-Hop” translated into how you approached your workshop?” Her response included incites into both her workshop and American society as a whole. She said, “I think that protest is interwoven throughout our presentation and I think our presentation showed how the Black community uses multiple renaissances, so like the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement, and the creation of HBCUs and the creation of the Black middle class, and how that is a form of resistance and that is a form of protest and how by creating Black media for Black people that shows the Black experience outside of the white gaze that is a form of protest that is a form of resistance and that shows the power of protest and how these pieces have created Black Culture which is so powerful because it impacts American culture. Through these forms of protest, Black people and the Black community are shaping the American mainstream.”
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