On January 19th, MLK Day, junior Zach Yimtatu participated in the MLK Jr. Day Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Alongside a diverse group of ten high school and college students, he recited excerpts from Dr. King’s book “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?”
Miss Bernice King, Dr. King’s sister, started this event 58 years ago. Only a few St. Pius students have participated in this in the past, making Yimtatu’s opportunity even more special.
“In early December, the speech director, Connie Smith Lindsay reached out to me in search of an upper class student who was a good speaker and who was passionate and really understood and embodied the messages of Dr King, and [Yimtatu] was the first one that I thought of,” said English teacher Ms. Dent.
He next had an interview with the director, and it was then that he was officially selected. To prepare, Yimtatu met with the group every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday for three weeks prior to the service.
“The practices were made to be harder than the actual speech which made us a lot more prepared,” Yimtatu said.
Although a little nervous, Yimtatu said he was mostly honored to speak against the injustice in our world and make a difference.
“The recitation was a perfect complement of the lessons and ideas of the services,” Yimtatu said, adding that the focus was “how we can change, what we need to change, and the problems that have come from it in our life, understanding and connection with other people.”
Yimtatu and the group touched the hearts of many who came, inspiring them to be the change in their world. Others who could not come in person were able to watch it on YouTube and other streaming services, allowing for Yimtatu’s performance to reach even more people.
Several teachers watched from home, including social studies teacher Mrs. Rose who spoke to how emotionally impactful the service was, even on a screen.
“Zach personified the action in the call, which was really, really cool to watch. … the lines he hit really spoke to me,” said Mrs. Rose. “It’s Martin Luther King’s words, but Zach’s delivery showed how what MLK was saying represents what we’re trying to do at Pius.”
Yimtatu believes that despite the fact that MLK wrote the words several years ago, they still apply to our generation.
“Today, even though we’ve made so many steps in the right direction, there’s still more that needs to be done. His words are timeless,” Yimtatu said.
“In giving his voice to Dr. King’s words, Zach carried forward the responsibility of building a compassionate nation and modeled the kind of courage that invites others to find and use their voice too,” Mrs. Rose added.
At the MLK Service, Yimtatu represented the values of St. Pius and helped to make a change in our community.
