Cultural Resources

 

Acknowledging the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

 

Embrace - The Embrace symbolizes the hug Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared with his wife, Coretta, after he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and celebrates their time in Boston when they met as students of Boston University (King) and New England Conservatory (Scott). The Embrace is an important cultural symbol of equity and justice in Boston. It will serve as a permanent monument (unveiling 1/13/23, open to public 1/23/23) representing the Kings’ time and powerful presence in Boston, a time that helped shape their approach to an equitable society. This moment in our City’s life is also an important opportunity to rekindle the vital relationship between the Jewish Community and the African American Civil Rights community that Rabbi Heschel and Dr. and Mrs. King so valued and honored.

 

Celebrating Lunar New Year! The Year of the RABBIT

January 22nd-January 9, 2023

 

Learning About Lunar New Year - New York City Department of Education  (click view to download document)

Lunar New Year is an important holiday tradition dating back over 4,000 years in many parts of Asia including China, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia. The holiday and its traditional celebrations provide an opportunity for people to reunite with family. The holiday is celebrated by millions of people worldwide. 

 

The date of the Lunar New Year changes every year because it is based on the lunar calendar. The traditional lunar calendar used in Asia is based on the moon’s orbit around the earth. Lunar New Year is always celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice.

 

Join our equity learning community! Explore some of the books, articles, videos, and websites we have found valuable in building diversity, equity, and integration in Westwood.

 

FacultyCommunityStudents

• Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Schools
• Using Books and Activities that Honor and Teach

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Educators throughout the district have participated in courses and book studies to guide our work and thinking:
 

• Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad

• Unconscious Bias In Schools: A Developmental Approach to Exploring Race and Racism by Tracey A. Benson and Sarah E. Fiarman

• Education Across Borders: Immigration, Race, and Identity in the Classroom by Jalene Tamerat, Marie Lily Cerat, and Patrick Sylvain

• White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

 

We work with IDEAS: Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for Students as a M.A.S.S.: Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and professional development partner for DEI.
 

Westwood works with MPDE: Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education to meet and recruit educators of color as prospective candidates for faculty and staff positions.

Celebration of Lunar New Year in Boston

Chinese New Year Parade

Boston’s annual Chinese New Year parade takes place on Sunday, Jan. 29, bringing crowds, street food, dancing, firecrackers, and music to the streets of Chinatown. Most of Chinatown closes to car traffic during the event, while the parade proceeds around Kneeland Street, Harrison Ave, and Essex Street. Parade goers will see dance troupes and kung fu groups performing lion dances with elaborate costumes and many restaurant owners in the neighborhood leave offerings to “feed” the lions, ensuring good luck for the new year. The parade also usually includes a dragon dance, as long as the weather holds up so the delicate dragon costumes aren’t damaged.

Each year, on the same day as the Chinatown parade, the China Trade Center at 2 Boylston Street hosts the Lunar New Year Cultural Village. The village has lots of kid-friendly activities to help ring in the new year, like calligraphy, origami, lantern crafting, snacks, and a special lion dance performance. 

Têt in Boston

Têt is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration, and each year the Vietnamese American Community of Massachusetts (VACM) and the New England Intercollegiate Vietnamese Student Association (NEIVSA) organize Têt in Boston. This year’s celebration takes place at Flynn Cruiseport at 1 Black Falcon Ave, on Sunday, Jan. 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and includes dozens of food and art vendors plus information booths, activities for kids, photo opportunities, and both traditional and modern Vietnamese performances. Admission to the festival is $3 online or $5 at the door.

Visit Pao Arts Center

Pao, Chinatown’s community arts center, hosts interactive Lunar New Year arts activities throughout the day on Jan. 29, like Chinese red envelope folding, Korean calligraphy, Korean dasik cookie stamping on clay, and rabbit-related crafts. It will also host three lion dance demonstration sessions at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. Visitors can also head to Pao Arts Center any time through February 25 to see “Under the Oak Tree,” an art showcase by the students of the Red Oak Program at Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center.

 

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​The resources in this section are meant to be a guide, an introduction to something new, or deepen your understanding if you are interested in supporting educational equity.

"Education broadens our horizons and enables us to confront realities we'd never before anticipated."
Betsy DeVos

Magic of Storytelling | Nat Geo Kids: Martin Luther King, Jr.

This Disney video features ABC news cast members sharing the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a courageous civil rights leader who inspired millions of people.

 

Lunar New Year for Kids Video

The scholastic video explains the Lunar New Year to children and provides visual examples of traditions that celebrate the important holiday.

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Students learn best when they are in school communities where their individual perspectives are valued. 

"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character: that is the goal of education."
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.