On Jan. 13, the BSA hosted the annual Martin Luther King Jr. assembly virtually. With the theme of reclaiming the Black Lives Matter hashtag, the assembly tied in the national and global racial reckoning of the past year that included protests against racial injustice, social media movements and political unrest.

The Black Students’ Association has been working since September to organize the assembly. The BSA determined the theme, planned the different components and chose and connected with a speaker, keeping in mind the challenges due to the virtual setting of the assembly.

The most significant obstacles in the planning were timing and engagement. MLK assemblies in the past have been roughly two hours. However, this year Mikaela and the BSA were worried that would be too long for the audience to listen.

Part 1:

The Black Students’ Association has been working since September to organize the assembly. The BSA determined the theme, planned the different components and chose and connected with a speaker, keeping in mind the challenges due to the virtual setting of the assembly.

Part 2:

Through the thoughtfulness and effort of the Black Students’ Association, this year’s MLK assembly provided a timely reminder to the Lab community about the importance of speaking up genuinely and working to create change.