Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation 2025
Gilman’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation on January 16 began with opening remarks from Assistant Head of School for Community, Inclusion, and Equity (CIE) Mike Molina. “What’s so special about Dr. King?” he asked, rhetorically, but then offered an answer: “In two words, impact and inspiration.” He went on to list ways we can see the impact of Dr. King’s work. “The America we experience today is more just and more equitable and filled with more opportunity for more people than ever before. And the Gilman we see around us is proof of that.” He continued by naming some of our School’s leaders whose work has been inspired by Dr. King and the impacts they’ve made through changes in admission practices and special programming — like Heads of School Henry Callard, Ludlow Baldwin, Redmond Finney, and Henry Smyth.
Led by their conductor Music Director Ariel Dechosa, the Middle and Upper School string ensembles performed Ennio Morricone’s “Gabriel’s Oboe,” featuring oboe player Grayson Mickel ’25. Next up was a cross-divisional performance by the Treble T’s (Lower School), Middle Men (Middle School), and Glee Club (Upper School) led by Vocal Groups Director Robby Ford with support from Lower School Music Teacher Amy Cyman and Middle School Music Director Thomas Hochla. They sang and clapped their way through a lively rendition of Bill Withers’ and Skip Scarborough’s “Lovely Day.” Director of Upper School Jazz Band Cheryl Nkeba chose “Song of My Father” by Horace Silver for her group’s performance to honor Dr. King, father of the civil rights movement.
Instead of a keynote speaker as has been done in recent years, Head of School Henry Smyth introduced a panel of two special guests — Mr. Bill Greene and Mr. Stuart Sims ’68 — who answered questions from Associate Director of CIE Joe Valentine-White ’07 and Black Student Union Co-President Bryce Wilson ’25. Smyth referred to Greene, the first Black teacher at Gilman who later served as Assistant Headmaster from 1987 to 2001, as having “transformed Gilman’s culture.” He called Sims, who was one of four Black students — the first — to graduate from the School in 1968, “a pioneering figure in Gilman’s history.”
During the discussion, Sims spoke about coming to Gilman in 1965 as “one of the best decisions he ever made” that “prepared me for life.” Greene recounted the story of when Reddy Finney recruited him from his teaching job at a public school and offered him an opportunity to come to Gilman. At the end, the audience of students, faculty, and staff in the Arena applauded the guests for their time given that afternoon, and more importantly, for their contributions to Gilman over the years.
To close out the assembly, Ryan Lomax ’28 gave an introduction to the song known as the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” written by James Weldon Johnson, performed by the Treble T’s and the Traveling Men, followed by a benediction delivered by CIE Council Student Representative Tyler Marshall ’25.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation 2025
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