What can one little person do?

Lessons from an elementary school assembly. (#throwback 2024)

What can one little person do?

From a K-8 elementary school on the city's far north side, comes a sense of community and spirit shone through the eyes of children honoring black history. On February 27, 2024, neighbors and families gathered to watch the Rogers Fine Arts School Black History Month assembly, an annual tradition. 

You could hear echoing throughout the auditorium, kids celebrating life—singing, dancing, reading and honoring people who made a mark on the world despite, in some cases, staggering odds against them. The student co-hosts introduced each act and sometimes traded out a microphone to play the piano in the band. Some of the 7th and 8th graders were multi-tasking throughout the performance – helping with stage crew and performing.

Kindergarteners stole your heart with a song called, “Jambo” hello in Swahili, while the older grades performed a variety show that was part song and dance and part history, covering important figures dating back to the pre-Civil War. They were dreaming like Martin, dancing like Michael and singing like Whitney, while also honoring African roots through traditional song and dance. The students also recognized sports figures like Simone Biles, famous scientists, political leaders, and current popular artists like Rihanna and H.E.R. The first graders breathed young life into the song, “What can one little person do?” asking “What can one little person do? What can one little me or you do? What can one little person do to help this world go 'round? One can help another one, and together we can get the job done. What can one little person do to help this world?” The innocence of the kids combined with the power of the words - and geez - this strong woman shed a few tears. They ended the show with a celebration of their own Mrs. Sanders, a decades-long employee who has become a renowned figure in the front office at Rogers.

I hadn’t planned on going to this assembly. I try to make them but it’s not always easy as a working parent. My 7th grader mentioned it the night before and asked if we were going… she wanted one of us to at least “try” to go. So I did. And I’m so glad. This one hour of my day was a reminder of who we are.

It’s a reminder to be who you are and stand up for yourself and those around you. That message resonated in this election year. But more so, I felt a sense of hope…. a desire to show your unique gifts to the world while also being part of a community. If the world could be more like Rogers Elementary, maybe we’d be in a better place.

I imagine this sentiment is carried throughout many communities that watch their youth perform. The contrast of what we see on stage and what happens in the surrounding world – from nearby blocks to lands across the ocean – is palpable. And I have to wonder, what CAN one little person do? What can one little person do, indeed. 

Be the one. Together we can get the job done.