Hope-Hill Elementary Holds Court With a King of History

OLD FOURTH WARD — The students of Hope-Hilll Elementary School received a rare treat Friday: a visit from Christine King Farris.

Farris, an educator and author, is the oldest an only surviving sibling of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

She came to the school Friday, as part of its weeklong commemoration of events tied to her brother and his legacy with the American Civil Rights Movement.

Jan. 20 — MLK Day — is a national holiday.

Farris came as part of AfterSchool Classé, to read from her book, "My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."

AfterSchool Classé, the first nationally accredited program at Atlanta Public Schools, pushes kids to develop leadership skills and academic achievement through the arts, math, reading, sports and other disciplines.

Farris' reading worked well with the week's focus on King, because it underscored the the program's spotlight on developing leadership and cultural awareness, Jan Maycock, AfterSchool Classé's executive director, told East Atlanta Patch.

Maycock and Maureen Wheeler, Hope-Hill's new principal, spoke with Patch to discuss AfterSchool Classé and some of the new initiatives being undertaken at the school.

Please click on the video to hear portions of our interview.