Walking Together with Love: 2024 MLK Youth Rally

Lincoln Public Schools students and community members braved the cold to allow Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy to march on at the 29th annual MLK Youth Rally on Jan. 20. 

LPS middle and high school scholars spent months organizing the event as a part of the planning committee. Students filled the rally with speeches and other special performances like songs and spoken word pieces to reflect on the civil rights leader’s work and call the community to continue his vision. 

“I think this is a really good way to expand my education on the inequalities and differences between communities,” Southeast High School sophomore Addison said. “I think that it's really powerful for youth to be speaking.” 

Addison has served on the MLK Youth Rally planning committee for three years. She and her peers work diligently to commemorate Dr. King’s legacy through youth empowerment and amplifying their voices.

“I want people to take away that you know, their life, their story matters, whatever that may be,” Lincoln High senior Jeremiah said. This is also his second year serving on the event’s planning committee. 

The rally also features some of the school district’s youngest change agents – the Belmont Track Scholars. The group includes fifth-grade students like Jazhiel who was inspired by past participants to take action toward Dr. King’s dream.

“I just want to join because I just saw how powerful they are,” he said. “They're just so powerful. It gives me chills when I'm around them.” 

“It proves that it can start at any age, like just look at the Belmont Scholars. They're so powerful and their voices are so strong,” Addison said. 

This year’s rally theme was “A walk together with love.” As the event appears in its 30th year, participants hope they can keep elevating student voices to inspire the change King envisioned for more years to come. 

“It retains the youth,” Jeremiah said. “It retains the youth and it helps the youth to know that this is a thing starting from a young age, so that when they do become young adults, and when they do transfer to being young adults, they know that this work is important and continue to work on it as adults. So that way, when the time comes, we can continue the fight for it.”

 

 
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