As we pause on Monday to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and inaugurate a president, the currents of American history are swirling. In times like these, school should offer an eddy for students and adults, a calm place. The work we do together transcends any one moment or event.

At Torit that work includes inspiring children to treat others with grace and courtesy. Respect, kindness, and goodwill are part of our school’s core values as well. Vital to raising good people, it’s slow, steady work. Young children have to learn to treat each other as they would like to be treated. The Golden Rule, simple as it sounds, is important to follow.

This school, with its diverse students and staff, can be a “beloved community,” a place where everyone is cared for and valued. The concept is not a historical artifact or a phrase from another time, but an aspiration. As a school, we can embrace community across differences and find what unites us. We inhabit different worlds and, at the same time, a shared world. Let’s continue to find hope in the world we build together at Torit.

I keep the photo below next to my desk as a reminder that despite difficult, sometimes even tragic moments, we all can do the work of loving kindness. May the coming days remind us that we build the world from words and actions, ones we must choose with care.

2:48 p.m. Wednesday April 3, 1968 - Outside the Lorraine Motel, U.S. Marshal Cato Ellis served Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a temporary restraining order from a federal judge, barring them from leading another march in Memphis without court approval. Also present were top King aides Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Andrew Young, James Orange and Bernard Lee. (Barney Sellers/The Commercial Appeal)

David Liebmann

Head of School