On Tuesday, January 22, 2013, Avon Middle School had the pleasure of hosting Deacon Arthur L. Miller, Director of the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Office of Black Catholic Ministries and author of The Journey to Chatham, the account of the murder of Emmett Till during the civil rights era. Deacon Miller spoke first hand of his friendship with Emmett Till, his involvement in the civil rights movement of the 1960's and the importance of what he calls the "eleventh commandment" - "Thou shall not be a bystander".
In addition to Deacon Miller's speech, an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's speech The Purpose of Education was read:
"To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction."
Martin Luther King, Jr., The Purpose of Education
"The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society."
Martin Luther King, Jr., The Purpose of Education
"Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education."
Martin Luther King, Jr., The Purpose of Education
