Impassioned Celebration: PS 261 students fill steps of Borough Hall for Dr. King rally
Rain Does Not Diminish Songs, Speeches & Spirit
Students from P.S. 261 in Boerum Hill gathered on the steps of Borough Hall on Friday, Jan. 12 for the 10th anniversary of their march to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students from grades three to five attended while fifth grade students prepared speeches extoling King’s message of equality, justice and love.
Retired former principal Zipporiah Mills started the march in 2008 and it has continued to grow since then under the guidance of Principal Jacqueline Allen Joseph, Parent Coordinator Heather Weston and the so-called “queen” of the march, teacher Catherine Pacilo.
After an impassioned rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” the students took turns reading their speeches to the enthusiastic crowd that attentively listened as the rain fell. Not a single umbrella was unfurled out of respect for the solemnity of the occasion.