Grosse Pointe News

Sean Cotton, Owner • Anne Gryzenia, Publisher • Jody McVeigh, Editor In Chief • Meg Leonard, Senior Editor

16980 Kercheval Pl. • Grosse Pointe, Michigan 48230 • 313.882.6900 • Monday-Friday 9am-4pm

Letter: A significant platformFree Access


To the Editor:

In 1968, after a school board vote and despite substantial opposition, Grosse Pointe hosted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who delivered his powerful “The Other America” speech.

Over the “discourtesy of the night” Dr. King expressed appreciation for the invitation to “occupy this significant platform.”

(The historic marker at GPSHS helps us all to remember, thanks to the efforts of the Grosse Pointe Board of Realtors and the Grosse Pointe News.)

Grosse Pointe is indeed a significant platform. With that platform comes rightful pride and responsibility. For example, in our schools it’s always within students’ reach to do good for themselves, and to do better here and beyond. For each student to fully realize this potential, as Dr. King stated in that Grosse Pointe gym years ago, “…somehow, we must come to see in this pluralistic, interrelated society we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”

I reflected on all this last week as we commemorated Dr. King’s birthday and as select census data on racial diversity was raised to question the value of the GPPSS strategic plan that in part looks to build on prior work in diversity, equity and inclusion.

Many here believe our schools can be even better for personal and collective achievement under this strategic plan and see the value in celebrating all aspects of diversity, ensuring equity and working toward true inclusion for every family.

Let’s all hearken back to Dr. King’s words from our very own significant platform, “With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discourse of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.”

Maureen Krasner

Grosse Pointe Farms