Each year, the Putnam County High School (PCHS) Servant Leadership Class presents a capstone project in its role as the Jr. Board of Directors for the Georgia Writers Museum (GWM).
With a passion for social justice, this year’s Leadership Class invited Georgia author Nic Stone to speak at the museum last Friday night. Stone’s book, Dear Martin, a New York Times number-one best-seller, was also recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.
Dear Martin tells the story of Justyce McAllister, born on the wrong side of the tracks but smart enough to win a scholarship to an elite prep school, where Justyce becomes the victim of racial injustice.
In trying to understand the people and events in his life, Justyce writes letters to Martin Luther King to express the struggles, confusion, and pain he is living through.
Stone is such a popular author that the Leadership students could not afford her speaking fee, so to persuade her to visit Eatonton, they conducted a social media campaign. They created a special video that won her over.
Through thoughtful and creative work, the Georgia Writers Museum was turned into an imaginary prep school for Friday night. A holograph pictured an imaginary school crest, hundreds of banners created by Putnam students were hung, and delicious vegan and traditional food created by Chef Brent Mero was served on cafeteria trays. Juice drinks were named after key characters in the book and served in milk cartons to contribute to a fun, lively atmosphere.
More importantly, several works of art, creative writing, and poetry were displayed and posted throughout the museum’s galleries, reflecting quotes and themes from Dear Martin.
Particularly intriguing was a simple hoodie transformed into a lit-up art form, created by PCHS teacher Rebekah Esau, who joined her students in helping bring the book to life.
The evening was an exchange of love and ideas between Stone, the students, and an audience of nearly 80 people who gathered to hear her message to “boldly do what you feel called to do.”
“The key passage of Dear Martin is on page 152,” Stone stated during her presentation.
“It reads, ‘You can’t change how other people think and act, but you’re in full control of yourself. When it comes down to it, the only question that matters is this: If nothing in the world ever changes, what type of man are you gonna be?’”
This question was spoken in the book by a teacher at the prep school who is dedicated to helping the students find themselves.
The thoughtful program also featured a lively Q&A session with Stone, including questions written in advance by students and direct questions from the audience.