From a mile away, all you might see of Martin Luther King Middle School are the borderline tragic test scores and the recent principal merry-go-round. Shoot, get right up on it and you’ll definitely see the challenges this school community faces. You’ll also see the teachers, staff, and students who show up every day and reach as high as they can.
I was lucky enough to attend the Cheerleader’s End of Year Celebration last night, and one of the consistently great aspects of MLK was on full display. Every year, coach Loretta Watson grabs up a new group of girls and hooks them into her cheerleading program. Every year, Watson and her crew are mentors to these girls in such a natural and loving way that many return to visit years after they’ve graduated.
For the 2nd time in the three years that the event has been held, the cheerleading squad from MLK Middle School took 1st place in the Richmond Public Schools middle school cheer competition. Later in the year, 22 young ladies travelled to Charlotte, North Carolina to watch the CIAA cheer expo, giving them the opportunity to see college cheerleaders in action and imagine themselves being those college students. In February, the squad performed as special guests at the “Stomp and Shake” cheer competition on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte.
Congratulations to all of “King’s Queens” on another great year. A huge thank you to Loretta Watson for all of your wonderful work with your girls every year. Hope y’all have an amazing summer.
Thank you to Chef Lee from The Roosevelt and the bakers at WPA Bakery for helping cater this dinner.
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20 comments
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RT @chpn: The MLK Cheerleaders are amazing girls and you should know about them https://t.co/mkXzwTdBUt
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Congratulations to the cheerleaders!
Not to sound racist, what is missing in this picture? By facts, 98% of MLK Middle student body (and probably higher) are black (state average is 48%). Considering the real estate within the city this school covers including all of Church Hill, Shockoe Bottom, Chimborazo, to Williamsburg Road and beyond, where do the white children go to Middle School? No ridiculing please… I plead ignorance on this subject but it seems like a form of self imposed segregation to me? When I grew up you had to go to the school within your residential district. Or is this an indication that among the white homeowners and renters, there are no children living here between the ages of 11 to 15? That Church Hill and the surrounding areas are not kid friendly or are they being taken (bused) out of the district by the parents and if so, why?
Thanks
Eric – There is an element of class/economics at work here. Many black and white parents who have the capability get their children into out-of-zone schools, into the IB program at Brown, or into Franklin Military – all of which are still public schools, and which pull students away from MLK. Another set of parents send their children to private schools.
I’m not going to speculate why parents move their children, except to say that they must believe it is their child’s best interest.
While this tendency may benefit the individual child and perhaps the system as a whole, it definitly leaves MLK less diverse in any number of ways.
I’ve noticed in my time here (five years) that I’ve seen next to no middle school or high school-aged white kids. Plenty of younger kids, though. In fact, the couple to whom we sold our Chesterfield County house lived in Church Hill and told us flat out they were moving out of the city for better schools, although they assured me that Church Hill-area elementary schools were okay. It’s sad, but as John says in the end it’s the parents’ choice.
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First congratulations to John for his award at this ceremony for the coverage he and CHPN have given to the MLK Jr Cheerleaders. Second my children attend both MLK Jr MS and Armstrong HS. Although there are challenges in the schools I feel that my children are receiving quality educations. There are great educators and administrators in our schools and we need to support them.
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@3 Trish, we have also encountered parents who moved just for the same reason. Supposedly to have access to better schools but at the same time a bit of prejudice mixed in with their decision. Sad. Are these majority black schools advocating for diversity?
As far as children of Middle School age, if parents move out of our community just for their children’s sake, that limits the variety of people living in our neighborhoods for demographic growth.
I know that our neighbor has a boy who goes to the same school as another friend’s son, who moved out of Church Hill basically for schools. I use to see him play with kids his own age in the back yard but as he has gotten older, never see anyone visit any longer. I never see him playing with friends at home or on the block because there isn’t anyone for him to. That is a very lonely life to live. I know, been there and done that.
I see younger black children play in areas of Church Hill and surrounding areas but rarely with white children. And never see any white children playing in their yards or on the street. So is Church Hill a white kid free environment? Have we learned nothing since the Jim Crow laws were abolished?
Where does Newbille stand on these issues? Or future district candidates?
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