Students from The Harbor School took part in a march last Friday that began at the four-way stop to honor the work and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., walking down the highway with signs and banners to join McMurray Middle School students outside Vashon Center for the Arts.

Leslie Serebryakova, a teacher at McMurray who helped organize the school’s participation in the march, told The Beachcomber that she believes it is important for students to commemorate Dr. King and take part in the continued work that needs to be done to advance social justice and civil rights. Many of them, she added, have begun to confront prejudices against race and gender on their own and seek further opportunities to denounce hate.

“We wanted to give them the opportunity to voice it in a safe environment and recognize [they have] support even in school from teachers and student-led organizations,” Serebryakova said.

Classrooms in the Vashon Island School District are relatively diverse, with approximately 24% of the student body made up of students of color according to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“It seemed like [for] the students — when given the opportunity to be a part of something and do action — they do it wholeheartedly,” Serebryakova said.

— Paul Rowley