Watkinson annual MLK Day is a half day of programming including special classes prepared by Watkinson faculty and guest presentations. This year’s campus guests include the 2024-2025 National Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco. In addition, community activist and leader Melina Floyd and competitive dancer Jayla Davis-Pullen will present. An important Watkinson tradition, the day is always held on the Friday preceding the national holiday celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and work.
PRESENTER BIOS
Stephanie Pacheco is the 2024-2025 National Youth Poet Laureate, and served as the 2023 NYC Youth Poet Laureate and the inaugural New York State Youth Poet Laureate. She was also a member of Urban Word’s 2022 Youth Slam Team. Hailing from The Bronx, she has been a leading organizer and strategist with several activist organizations including the Healing Centered Schools Task Force, working to mobilize youth across the city against educational injustice. She is a recipient of the 2021 Princeton Prize in Race Relations. Her advocacy and poetry have been highlighted by The New York Times, The Today Show, NPR, The Daily News, CBS, and other publications. She has spoken and performed at The Kennedy Center, Folger Library, The Schomburg Center, The Apollo Theater, The Barclays Center, The New York Public Library, TedXCUNY, and more.
Melina Floyd is a community activist and leader. Melina works full-time for the local United Way. She is the founder of the first ever mutual aid community garden in Bristol known as Bristol Opportunity Collective. She also sits on the Board of Directors for an award-winning nonprofit restaurant in Hartford called Fire by Forge. Melina volunteers at the Bristol NAACP as a member and the advisor of the Youth Council. She has recently started working as a campaign consultant for politicians she believes in, helping them to get elected so they can serve the people of the community and the greater good.
Jayla Davis-Pullen is a bright, intelligent, and dedicated competitive dancer who pours her heart into everything she does. She is a passionate mental health advocate who uses her voice to inspire others. Through her platform, Be Your Brightest Self, Jayla empowers confidence, kindness, and resilience, encouraging everyone to shine in their own beautiful way.
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