Xiomara Hall ’92 Kicks off Lawrenceville’s MLK Service Events

Xiomara Hall ’92 shared poetry, words of inspiration, and song at today’s School Meeting, officially kicking off Lawrenceville’s MLK Day events.

“Service isn’t about charity, service isn’t about philanthropy, service, as Dr. King implored us, is about community because we are bound up together. We can look to the future but we cannot do it responsibly without understanding where we’ve been - what our community as a country has gone through before we utter hope or common ground as ideals,” she said.

A 20-year veteran of education, Hall is currently Director of Enrollment Management at The Chapin School and facilitates anti-racism training with the Center for Racial Justice in Education. Sharing words of reflection on both current events and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of hope, Hall encouraged Lawrentians to “be deliberate in your quest to get to the bottom of understanding history.” She also cautioned to “not move hope forward any faster than those who are most grieved,” and work towards positive change by making space for healing and grieving. “When we feel challenged, it can be easy to either turn off, disappear or double down,” she said. “Being open-minded and authentic starts with yourself and asking yourself really tough questions on why you believe what you believe.”

This year, Lawrenceville’s MLK Day efforts will focus on forming a new understanding of service and the communities and organizations served through a series of four meetings. With the help of faculty and community partners, every student will have the opportunity to focus on one of these eight thematic topics: education, poverty, hunger, social justice, the environment, senior citizens, public health, and special needs.

For additional information, please contact Lisa M. Gillard Hanson, director of Public Relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.