Mr. Kendrick Kirkland led the 2025 MLK assembly with the help of the Black Student Union. It included various performers who all shared their views to encourage us not to forget Martin Luther’s journey and legacy. This brought up the theme of “Greatness in every small act.” The assembly started with the orchestra and the chorus singing the national anthem. The Black Student Union opened the program. The poem “Fighting Greatness in Small Acts” was recited to the people present. The chorus then sang one of the most listened-to songs, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” After all these performances, the guest speaker, Sherri Hills, came and gave her powerful speech on “Gratitude.” The chorus sang another song leading to the awards ceremonies for people who helped the community, demonstrating Martin Luther’s goal. The theatre students later performed a modernized version of “I Have a Dream speech.” The assembly ended with an inspiring video showing some successful Wheeler alums. (PHOTO- Photography club, Campbell Acedo.)
Mr. Kendrick Kirkland(admin), one of the organizers, said he thought the Black student union came up with the theme from what people were doing in the community in the sense of the small things people do that help others, like “Smiling to a person or speaking to a person every day,” than the big things others do. Before the assembly, he hoped that students would leave the gathering inspired and believe that “There is something in every small act that a person can do.” He also wanted students to achieve more for themselves.
Since there were many media displays, there was no doubt some spoke to others the most. Dr. Claudia Batichon, the co-advisor for the Black Student Union and teacher, said, “This is a program that the Black Student Union has put together with the efforts of the administrative team as well as other members of Wheeler High School, such as the choir and others.” She said it was a unified effort that brought the program to pass. She said she would rate the event “excellent” since she was privileged enough to see it for her past four years in Wheeler, which gets better each year. What she liked best from past years was that they decided to honor graduates of Wheeler even as a staff to watch. It makes her happy that students can see that coming to Wheeler could lead them to become great, where “The sky is the limit.”
Ms. Sherri Hill, the honored guest speaker and chief of staff in Cobb County, has served in many other roles; she did not only speak because she was asked to but also said, “Part of my purpose in life is to use my gift to help others, whether that is inspiring or motivating others or just sharing what she has learned over the years.” The main point in her speech was “Gratitude” because, in her years on this planet, she has learned that gratitude can change you within; when we have things not work out for us, we can focus on the things that are working or the things we are grateful for, those things change how we feel. She said the video’s ending, which showed Wheeler alums who had made it in sports and other areas, was powerful. Lastly, she said, “My favorite part was the video because it left a valuable lesson for the students who are currently here about what they can do.”
Danielle Cherry (11) said, “Continue to be nice because no small act of kindness can impact an individual, so always try to show gratitude to everyone.” She believes the assembly gets better each year. Danielle’s favorite part of the assembly was hearing the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” because of the message and teaching in the music.
Lastly, Gabrielle Cherry (11) said the assembly taught her to be positive and kind to everybody: “Because you never know what situation they are going through.” She said she liked this year’s assembly better because of the video. The video differed slightly from last year since they added students who had graduated from Wheeler who had imparted the world through sports or media and using different songs.
To summarize, everyone involved in the assembly worked hard to meet deadlines and ensure everything ran smoothly. The program was a success, and the main message intended for the students was indeed visible.
PHOTO- Photography club, Campbell Acedo.
