The legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. continues to impact lives today; celebrating his life and work is a multi-day event at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. 

Partnered with Two Men and a Truck, HIES families in each division donated canned food which was donated to Hosea Feed the Hungry. 

On Monday, January 16, our campus and our Golden Bears Basketball teams hosted the 5th Annual MLK Day Classic Basketball Tournament with several of the state's top teams playing games in both gyms, which were decorated with banners displaying images of Dr. King by artist Steve Penley. Artwork from Primary School and Lower School students was placed around the gym as well. Attendees also were invited to bring canned goods for the food drive. 

The event opened with Nicole Harris, a soloist with Beaulah Baptist Church, performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Participating schools included Galloway School, the Walker School, Collins Hill, Southwest DeKalb High School, Woodward Academy, Riverwood High School and Athens Academy. 

For the Golden Bears, the varsity girls quad picked up an impressive 75-52 region win over Southwest DeKalb High School. Senior Olivia Hutcherson netted her 1,000th career point in a buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter. The varsity boys team fell 39-37 in a nail-biter against SW DeKalb. Atlanta's CBS Sports covered the event.

Mid-day, tournament attendees heard from renowned orator Austin Broughton, who performed Dr. King’s unforgettable “Mountaintop” speech.

In each division, students participated in activities and chapel services centered around Dr. King. In Primary School, Dr. Beth Sarah-Wright, HIES director of enrollment, and Nick Fuller, HIES parent and Morehouse College alumnus (alma mater of Dr. King), read stories about Dr. King to students in their classrooms. In Primary School chapel, four Upper School students visited to tell the younger Golden Bears about Dr. King. 

In Lower School chapel, Chaplain Trey Davis spoke about the important work of Dr. King and the changes that he helped to effect. “Only light can drive out darkness. Only love can drive out hate,” he said. “Jesus’ light drives out the darkness. It is up to us to continue that work. We have a great example in Dr. King.”  

In Middle School chapel, Jayla Jackson ’23 gave the message, taking students to the day of his “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963. “Dr. King was famous for his speech but not for the dream. Many people had the same hopes and dreams,” she said. “How will you continue to be the dream? What are you doing to continue to promote equity and liberty?” 

In Upper School chapel, the Rev. Dr. Stefanie Taylor spoke about Dr. King and the weight that he carried with working to evoke change, which can create discomfort for people. Moving past the discomfort will lead to a place of wonder. 

In a classroom activity, Middle School students watched a short documentary about Dr. King and then discussed how his work relates to the HIES Mission Statement. They also watched part of his “I Have a Dream” speech and talked about the words that impacted them the most. 

On Sunday, Jan. 15, the JV and varsity basketball teams visited the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. The trip was part of a series of programs and educational experiences designed for student-athletes to grow “beyond the court.”

Middle School and Upper School students were invited to participate in an essay contest and write a reflection on Dr. King, answering the question: How do we encourage one another to be great and true servant leaders in our community, society, and the world?

With 92 submissions, three finalists in each division were selected by a faculty committee. In Middle School, first place went to Alessandra Georgiev (Grade 6), second place to Scarlett Payne (Grade 8) and third place to Mose Murray (Grade 8). 

In Upper School, first place went to Miracle Okeke ‘23, second place to Amelia Smith ’25 and third place to Kennedy Thomas ‘24.  

In faculty news, varsity boys basketball coach Mario Mays was honored in his hometown of Gainesville, Ga., with the “Drum Major for Justice Trailblazer Award,” as part of MLK Day events sponsored by the Newtown Florist Club. 

"Celebrating and recognizing the life of Dr. King is critically important," Keith White, director of multicultural affairs, said. "The events show our students more about the man he was but also create a sense of hope and promise in continuing his work as he tried to make the world a better place." 

— Christina Mimms