This evening I had the great pleasure of experiencing Marietta Center for Advanced Academics’ Evening of the Arts held at the Marietta High School’s new performance auditorium.
There they were, the third, fourth and fifth graders, each performing in a multi media presentation, giving the best they had to offer. And what they had to offer was phenomenal. It brought me to the core of my being. It was one of those events when your heart swells (three sizes that day) and that reminds you of why it is so great to be alive.
The Marietta School System is second to none and MCAA is a good flagship for the entire enterprise. A National Blue Ribbon school and the first STEM certified school in the state, MCAA brings together children of all backgrounds, of all ethnicities, of all economic statuses. It is the melting pot of America in microcosm, there for us to easily observe, inspect, admire and even adore.
As such, the school reflects our school system, reflects our wonderful city of Marietta, and reflects our nation. The broad range of diversity of this small, very intentional school, the power of the sum of its parts and more, the sheer overwhelming testament to a brighter future is undeniable. In the words of one of the songs that they sang, “Yeah, we’re all wonderful, wonderful people. So when did we all get so fearful? And now we’re finally finding our voices. So take a chance, come help me sing this.” (From Emeli Sande’s “Read All About It). Tonight, the children were teaching.
This is our nation’s great treasure, our great talent and our great promise. This breadth of opportunity demands depth of understanding and offers benefits that few of us can still yet comprehend.
“I have seen the promised land,” Dr. King foreshadowed. Tonight, I have too. It is with us. And it is us. And we are all the better for it.