Matin Luther King Jr. Remembered

Hillwood Academic Day School is closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to honor the life and work of this civil rights activist.

Erion and Jay made the following video clip, and the story below is by Hillwood graduate Julian G., who is now at Sacred Heart. The article includes a video clip from "Meet the Press," and shows Dr. King being interviewed. The clip reveals him as an amazing speaker and someone able to handle an aggressive interview style.



Marin Luther King Jr. is known by everyone for giving rights to blacks.

He began his career as a Baptist preacher. He went on to lead the civil rights movement, and he also made history.

Jim Crow laws were terrible. They did not let blacks sit in the front of the bus and they had to give up their seats if a white person was standing. They had to eat in separate restaurants, go to separate public restrooms, and even separate public schools. But in 1954 Jim Crow lost to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declared separate schools for blacks and whites was unequal. The case was called "Brown v. Board of Education."

Black people were tired of the racism, so they boycotted the bus system because a woman named Rosa Park in Montgomery, Alabama, was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white person. Thirteen months later the bus gave in because of the cash flow problems with no one riding the bus.

The Montgomery boycott inspired more people to join him. In 1963 Dr. King and other civil right leaders organized the march in Washington. More than two hundred thousand people came to for demand equality for blacks.

The Civil Rights movement was changing the nation. In 1964 Congress passed the Civil Rights act which made racial discrimination in public places legal. He also got the Nobel Peace Prize.

On April 4, 1998 Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, by James Earl Ray. But, still Dr. King's words, speeches and his legacy lives on with us. He inspired Hispanics, women, and even the disabled.

Below is an interview with Martin Luther King and several journalists on the television show Meet the Press, which ran on national TV, in the mid-1950s. Meet the Press is a news show that still airs on regular TV today.



Hillwood Herald readers: Don't forget school is closed on Monday in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King day.

Beware the Ides of March

Nope, it's not "Ideas" but " Ides." This day is on March, July, October 15, and the thirteenth of any other month. It marks the day when Julius Caesar died and based on the Roman calendar. The word "ides"is a Latin and means "halfway."

There is a play written by William Shakespeare called "Julius Caesar," and in the play there is a line that tells Julius Caesar to beware of " The Ides of March." The Ides of March, apparently, was a popular phrase at the time when Shakespeare lived. That is why he had that line in his play. The Ides of March is very special to many people. Some people really honor the Ides of March.

Written by Rubina H.

The Importance of the National Archives

The National Archives, hundreds of years old, is an important source of information for national records ranging from historical moments to family records.

America's citizens like Beverly Woods could find military records, immigration records, and family records on her great-grandfather. This helped her to discover part of her family's past.

Notable historical records stored in the National Archives include the internment of Japanese San Franciscans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Survivors of the Japanese internment were able to sue the American government for consolation using information from these records.

The existence of the National Archives could also discourage influential people from lying or getting their information wrong.

The National Archives are open to everyone, like the one in Burlingame. Admission is free, but it would be a good idea to take the time out to plan your visit. National Archives sites also hold some public programs.

There is the Regional Archives in San Francisco where federal records on northern and central California, Nevada (except Clark County), Hawaii, American Samoa and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

The Foundation for the National Archives ally with the National Archives to create the National Archives Experience.

For more information, visit the National Archives website.

Sources: Discovery Channel, National Archives website
Photo source: National Archives

By Julien G. (notes and title)
Brigette W. (summary)

Who Was Rosa Parks?

Up until 1955, all places in America had separate places for blacks and whites: different drinking fountains, different restrooms, different sides of the buses, schools, and even different neighborhoods.

But on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a local black seamstress of Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her seat to a white man. She was arrested and fined that same day for breaking a "city ordinance." This incident led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., many black people in Montgomery refused to ride buses. They,instead, carpooled, walked, and took taxis. Because of the sudden decrease of bus riders, bus companies began to lose money. In order to regain financial strength, the law changed for all people to be equal and for non-segregation.

Rosa Parks' refusal of her bus seat led to the boycott which led to legalizing non-segregation. She remains important in our society not just because of her standing up to unjust laws, but also, Rosa Parks fought for civil rights and gave speeches to teach young children about the history of our country.

You can read Julien G.'s related story about Dr. Martin Luther King.

Watch this video about what happened on December 1, 1955.

White House Commemorate Concert to Civil Rights Movement

"Jazz speaks for life," said Martin Luther King Jr. at the Berin Jazz Festival. "The blues tell the story of life's difficulties — and, if you think for a moment, you realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. This is triumphant music."

During difficult times in the Civil Rights Movement, people would often sing to give themselves a sense of hope.

As a part of Black History Month, to celebrate music's effect on the Civil Rights Movement, the White House held a concert: “In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement.”

Performers included Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bernice Johnson Reagon with the Freedom Singers, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, John Mellencamp, Yolanda Adams, Natalie Cole, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Howard University Choir.

“The civil rights movement was a movement sustained by music was inspired by the movement and gave strength in return.” said President Obama, our first African-American president.

Sources: nytimes.com, NPR
by Brigette W.

Visiting the National Archives Nearby

Did you know that there is a National Archive near Hillwood Academic Day School? Most people think that there are only national archives in Washington, D.C., but that is not true. In fact, if you are in a car, there is an archive only 20 or 30 minutes away in San Bruno.

At the archive, you can do a lot of digging. You can find your roots or learn about San Francisco's history, such as the earthquakes and fires. But you will have to make an appointment and go with an adult or your teacher. You have to ask to see anything and the archivists, who are like librarians, will bring you one thing at a time. These things are usually in boxes or big folders, and they are old. You have to be careful with them, and they are not the type of documents that you might expect. They are usually letters and personal things that people owned. There are also a lot of old newspapers.

Anybody can go to the archive, and there were a lot of people there.

Willie Mays Back in New York

Students: Jay and Erion

Report on what's happening with the Giants and the "memory" of Willie Mays this weekend, based on the Giants website and this New York Times video. Consult Wikipedia to tell Herald readers about Willie Mays, who he was and why he matters to San Francisco. Make certain that you get your history right (for instance, is Willie Mays still alive?). When is Willie Mays Day in California.

Finish your assignment early, and you can play with Google Earth (or Mars or Moon).