On Jan. 19, 2026, Lexington High School students volunteered at the Human Rights Activator Fair at Grace Chapel in Lexington, hosted by the Lexington Human Rights Committee. The event was part of the Martin Luther King Day of Service, the final day of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week in Lexington.
At the fair, students engaged with Lexington community members as they helped set up activity stations and greeted guests. Various activities included a “Women of the Movement” display featuring key female contributors to the civil rights movement, a concert presented by the Special Needs Arts Programs, Inc. (SNAP) chorus, and a Conversation on Race.
“We had a lot of student volunteers that were doing the community Conversation on Race. We have them peppered in. We also had people collecting donations, greeting, selling t-shirts – doing all of the things. [There was an] incredible turnout; a fantastic amount of teens showed up this year, which was just incredible,” Sara Sheikh, the MLK Day of Service Chairperson, said.
The Conversation on Race was a major event of the day. Participants formed small groups and were given specific questions to discuss. They later joined together to invite individual speakers to share their thoughts.
“I specifically think that it’s interesting that they wanted youth voices,” Anbini Pannirselvam, an LHS junior and volunteer, said. “[I think] it is to see how things have changed, how people perceive race. Because different generations definitely perceive a lot of things very differently.”
Another table set up at the fair featured space for all participants to write quotes from Dr. King or from their own inspiration.
“I wrote to be kind to everyone, and that kindness can go a long way. It made me think of the message I wanted to leave, not just on the poster, but also a message I wanted to live by every day. I also got to read other people’s messages and even some of MLK’s, and I thought it was an important activity for reflection,” Brendan Xu, an LHS junior and volunteer, said.
Beyond just service, students noted the sense of engagement they felt from the event. With a large turnout despite heavy snow the night before, students took part in a unique experience that, for some, had personal impacts.
“I think it’s important for people in high school to be able to communicate how they feel and get other opinions on certain political topics … I am here to volunteer because it’s such an important event that I feel I should be here,” Sean Hsu, an LHS senior and volunteer, said.
As an annual celebration, MLK Day offers a chance for students to interact with the town community, extending the content they learn in their history classes.
“I think that [events like this] impact the community because they show what’s possible. They show what’s possible, what you can do, who’s here, who you may not realize you relate to. It helps you with context and education, and showing up is really what the world needs right now. We all just need to show up because we’ve got a lot to learn and a lot to do,” Sheikh said.
