INDIANAPOLIS— Crispus Attucks High School hosted it's 44th annual tribute event on Friday to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with hundreds of students, faculty, and community members in attendance.
The tribute at Crispus Attucks highlighted the ongoing relevance of Dr. King’s message. Senior Mutanda Mutombo, one of the students selected to speak, emphasized how Dr. King’s call for hope and equality resonates with today’s youth.
The 2025 theme was “The Arc of the Moral Universe is Long, But It Bends Toward Justice.”
“He represents the hope and freedom that anything is possible if you try,” Mutombo said, explaining how Dr. King’s teachings continue to inspire students, particularly at Crispus Attucks.
Dr. Patricia Payne, Director of the Office of Racial Equity and Inclusion, also spoke on the importance of continuing Dr. King’s revolutionary work.
“It wasn’t just adults that followed Dr. King," said Payne. "They had a Children's March back in the 1960s."
She says we can do the same thing and that it's very important in the environment that we are in now to follow King's teachings.
Crispus Attucks has long been a symbol of resilience and opportunity in the face of segregation. It was founded in 1927 as the first public high school in Indiana for African American students.
The program included performances by Markel Pippins, associate director of music, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church; the Imani Praise Team of Witherspoon Presbyterian Church; JROTC Color Guard, Crispus Attucks High School; Krash Krew, Ladies of Eastern Star Church; and the George Washington High School Concert Choir.
For students at Crispus Attucks, attending this annual tribute is more than just remembering the past and serves as a call to action for the future.
“We have to follow Dr. King’s teachings, who understood the chaos of his time and still called for peace," said Dr. Payne.
To watch the full tribute click HERE.
Find free things to do this MLK Day, here.
