Surrounded by stained glass windows and pews carved by former slaves, elementary children took the stage one by one to deliver their speeches.
With the passing of Mohammed Ali in June, students were asked to commemorate both him and Martin Luther King, Jr..
“So today, as we celebrate Dr. King and Mohammed Ali, let us remember their fights for freedom were intertwined,” Zyahra Barnes, student at Windsor Village Elementary.
Students also mentioned social movements that impacted 2016.
“But today our black men are being shot and killed without regard. That is why athletes such as Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers has refused to pledge allegiance to a flag that promises liberty and justice for all when society is showing differently,” Jernee Craig, student at Whidby Elementary.
Other kids touched on things like police brutality, anti-immigration, and “All Lives Matter.”