Sussex Academy students give speeches about Civil Rights Movement

Sussex Academy sixth-graders and their families gathered at the school for an annual speech assembly Feb. 10, honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month.

“I’m really proud of the students here,” social studies teacher Jon English said.

All 120 or so students in the grade were tasked with writing speeches about the Civil Rights Movement. Then, the students picked the top few speeches from each class to be read at the assembly. Fourteen students were selected.

They spoke about prominent civil rights leaders and figures, like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Rosa Parks, as well as broader concepts like civil disobedience.

One student, Genevieve Taylor, spoke about Emmett Till in first-person perspective, offering a unique look into his life. 

“We were learning about [Till] in class, and I really wanted to know the true reason of why he got murdered,” Taylor said before the assembly. “So, I started to dig a little deeper, and I really enjoyed it, so that inspired me to write a speech about it.”

Another student, Nishk Mendonza, delivered a passionate reading about the 1963 March on Washington, ending with a question for the audience.

“Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream to end segregation and to have equal rights for all,” Mendonza said. “What’s your dream, and how will you work to achieve it?”

CJ Denis, who spoke about Malcolm X, also ended his speech with a question, prompting the audience to reflect on their answers.

“Even today, we still have police brutality and racism,” Denis said. “But the question is, are you going to sit down and let it happen, or are you willing to fight back?”