On January 18, students at Gibson Southern celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights activist who fought for equal rights and supported peaceful protests. 

Jennifer Schneider, the school’s librarian, ordered new books and made a display that explained the reason behind why we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., Day. 

“Since we are here, we should acknowledge his day and pay tribute to what he has done,” Schneider said.

Some differences between last year’s display and this year’s are the painted windows. Schneider painted the windows to grab students’ attention as they walked down the halls. Last year, the windows had some of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous quotes. This year, Schneider based the windows off of King’s ideas and expanded them so they highlight past and current events.

“The windows really stood out to me,” sophomore Gracia Jones said.

The display was located in the middle of the library with many new books that show for what King supported. Schneider thought buying new books may encourage students who want to expand their knowledge to read from another’s perspective.

“I believe that we shouldn’t be quick to judge a person if we’ve never heard their story,” sophomore Jake Decker said.

Schneider’s display possesses a deeper meaning than just celebrating King. It was made to inspire students to show more love and respect. Schneider explained how some small communities are insulated and have never experienced a major issue. She believes our community has the opportunity to be the change.

“I’d like to think of us as a light in a dark and scary time,” Schneider said.

The idea behind the display is to inspire students to look past differences and treat people with kindness.