Forty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that his children would live in a nation where they were judged by their characters and not the color of their skin. Four days ago, University graduate student Gene Chism wanted to keep that dream alive.
“Keeping the Dream Alive… You Are As Good As Anyone” was the theme of the sixth annual Respecting Everyone’s Differences Day at Hamlin Middle School in Springfield. Presented by FACES, a diversity education group whose acronym stands for Freely Accepting the Cultures of Every Student, RED Day is a series of performances and workshops designed to give students “a glimpse of the world,” said Chism, FACES director and the multicultural liaison for Hamlin, Briggs and Springfield Middle Schools.
“Some of these kids haven’t been outside of Springfield. Some of them are just trapped thinking the world revolves around one city,” Chism said. “We all have a face, but behind each face is a story. I’m here to try to get that story heard and told.”
After a school-wide assembly, the student body was split in thirds for food and music workshops, as well as speakers.
“It’s trying to bring awareness to the students about the good things that we share, as well as the differences,” said JoAnne Allen, who teaches eighth grade at Hamlin.
She added that RED Day is a perfect event for Hamlin, which she said is “one of the few schools in Lane County that has as much diversity as it does.
“We’re like a mini-melting pot ourselves,” she added.
The food – which included Cajun jambalaya, Ukrainian perogies and Middle Eastern hummus – was there to broaden the students’ tastes, while the speakers served to inspire them.
University senior Eli Ettinger, a wheelchair racer and the first athlete with a physical disability to graduate from Sunset High School in Beaverton, spoke of perseverance. Trent Davis, an athlete from Springfield High School, discussed the importance of applying oneself at a young age.
Hamlin Principal Michael Riplinger said the younger speakers are relatable to the middle school students, much more so than adults.
Riplinger said his favorite part of the day was the workshop that included demonstrations from Duer’s, a taekwondo school on West 11th Avenue in Eugene, and Millerz in Da Mix, Springfield High School’s hip-hop dance team.
“I love seeing former kids from here come back and perform,” he said.
The event culminated with another assembly, which featured more performers; a fashion show featuring clothes from Brattain House, which has a free clothing closet for Springfield students and their families; and a keynote speech from former Hamlin Assistant Principal Derien Latimer, visiting from Colorado Springs, Colo., where he is currently assistant principal at Carmel Middle School.
“You can decide your destination or you can allow the elements, chance, fate, your friends to decide for you,” Latimer told the students. “When you have a dream, walk toward your destination. You can do anything, and you’re as good as anyone.”
Riplinger said, “It was a terrific day. The kids, I believe, got a lot out of it. We had very different experiences for them to connect with, whether through food or through music or through dance or through older speakers.”
Chism said RED Day has evolved from its origin as a Martin Luther King Day event.
“Everyone can stand and appreciate knowledge of culture,” he said. “It’s not just a black thing or a white thing. It’s a life thing; it’s a community thing.”
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