Once again, the Taft community took time on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to celebrate his legacy.
Among the highlights this year was an alumni panel on Sunday night, focused on service and featuring Ashley Barronette '07, Holly Donaldson '07, Donald Molosi '05 and Mike Rubin '74. In his introduction, Headmaster Willy MacMullen posed the question, "Do you think a good life is one that is marked by serving others?"
Remarking on the school's motto of service, he added "We are a school that is interested in understanding the past, in asking difficult questions, in committing to service, in trying to ensure that justice is shared evenly--in preparing you to be a global citizen and leader, and just a good person. This is our work. It’s a different day, but it’s just another day at Taft."
The celebration continued with the now traditional Prayer Breakfast on Monday morning. Acting Waterbury Police Chief Vernon Riddick, the first African American to head the department, served as the keynote speaker. This was followed by an all-school gathering in Bingham, where Steven Tejada performed excerpts from his remarkable one-man show, Boogie Down Journey.
From there, some students headed to the gym to welcome middle-school students from the local area in the Young Heroes Program. Others headed to class to watch civil-rights themed films for the remainder of the morning. The school reassembled in the afternoon for the multicultural arts celebration of Taft's Beloved Community.
