Schools

March On Washington (Street)

More than 500 Hoboken charter and public school students marched from Church Square Park to City Hall Friday morning in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

Children of all ethnicities and backgrounds marched on Hoboken's Washington Street this morning, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Armed with colorful signs and banners promoting civil rights, equality and unity, more than 500 charter- and public school students walked through the streets, chanting "MLK! MLK!" and "we want peace," as well as singing civil rights songs. 

This was the 12th annual march, organized by the Hoboken Charter School, and this year's theme was "making friends of our enemies."

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"We're really taking Dr. King's message and making it real," said S.K. Duff, director of service learning at Hoboken Charter School. "That's what our school stands for."

Hoboken Charter School, The Hudson School, Elysian Charter School, Stevens Cooperative School and Demarest Alternative High School participated in the march. 

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When the students, teachers and parents arrived at City Hall, guest speaker and author Moustafa Bayoumi—author of the book How Does It Feel To Be a Problem, being young and Arab in America—addressed the students. 

"We simply have too much unnecessary death around us," Bayoumi said. "Only by truly understanding each other we can break free from those cycles of violence."

After a short speech from Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Duff, the children were told to all join hands and repeat the following sentences:

"I have a dream..."

"I am that dream..." 

And then, extra loudly, "I will LIVE that dream!"

Chances are that Martin Luther King Jr. would have been proud. 


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