Buckley Celebrates the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King

January 16, 2026

The Buckley community gathered in The Muran Theatre not only to hear three 8th grade speeches, but also to remember the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in advance of MLK Day, which took place on Monday, January 19, 2026.

Head of School, Dr. Jean-Marc Juhel, shared with students key points about Dr. King’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and how the impact of his work still resonates today.

Buckley’s Upper School chorus sang a beautiful rendition of “Martin Luther King” by Barbara Ames, a song popularized by her former student and Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Then, Dr. Juhel shared a video from Buckley’s MLK Day celebration in January 2020, in which Nia Thompson ’26 performed “We Shall Overcome” as a second grader. Now in eighth grade, Nia returned to the stage to perform the gospel song once more.

See the video of Nia’s performances here, and here to see photos from all our student performances in honor of MLK Day 2026.