Malverne honors the legacy of Dr. King with annual celebration

Humanitarian awards recognize longtime school leaders

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Nearly 60 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Malverne to help desegregate the school district, community members gathered to celebrate his legacy and honor those who continue to uphold the values that King spoke so often about.

The 39th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration was held in the Howard T. Herber Middle School auditorium, and began with a modern dance performance by the HTH Creativity Club. They danced to King’s words, wearing shirts bearing the words “I am the dream.”

Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the packed auditorium joined in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson. Often referred to as the “Black national anthem,” the song recognizes the strengths and triumphs of African-Americans.

Ethan Jolly, a 7th grader, produced a two-part video series, “A Dream Comes True,” exploring the history of racial division in the Malverne district and the efforts to desegregate its schools, introduce a black studies group and hire more black teachers. Jolly highlighted the impact of King’s contributions to the school district, reflecting on the rich diversity in today’s classrooms.

Florence Balay and Norma Britt were presented with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Awards. Balay has worked in education for 31 years, 23 of them at Malverne, and will retire at the end of this month. During her time in the school district, she introduced honors and AP chemistry courses and a Robotics Club. While advising the Carter G Woodson Black Studies Club, Balay led initiatives to support orphanages in her native Haiti, relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and aid for African nations. She revitalized the track and field program, and in 2013 Balay organized the district’s first meet in 15 years.

“Education is the key to realizing the dream today,” Balay said. “Every day I see how knowledge transforms your mind, shatters injustices and open doors to a future where equality is not a distant hope, but a lived reality.”

Before serving as district supervisor of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, studies, Balay was chairwoman of math and science. She advocates for equitable access to STEM education.

“The fact that I’m a Black women in STEM and being recognized like this — I feel that this award will open doors for my students,” she said. “They can see that they can actually do it themselves. It’s not unreachable, you know, hard work pays off.”

Britt’s daughter, Alma, presented her with her award. Britt, who is fondly known as “Mama Britt” in the community, was educated in the Malverne school system, and went on to work at all four schools in the district. Her late husband, coach Colbert Britt, was previously honored with a King award in 1999.

Norma Britt has impacted students beyond the classroom. “I’ve had more then one kid tell me that they wouldn’t have finished high school if it weren’t for me,” she said.

The award was especially meaningful for Britt, who caught a glimpse of King during his visit to Lakeview in May 1965.

“My cousin came running, saying, ‘Come on!’” she recounted. “I jumped on his bike, on the handle bars, and I saw Dr. King as he was getting back into his car. It meant a lot. Not at that time, but later on — that I met someone who was a worldwide leader, who the world really embraced, it really meant everything.”