On the Wednesday block day, Issaquah High school welcomed guest speaker Christian Page to the Longman Performing Arts Theater. He talked about the importance of Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the unwritten events during the Civil rights movement and Montgomery Bus Boycott. Unfortunately, we did not see Page on MLK day due to snow cancelling school. Therefore, we saw him in February, Black History Month, which Page also talked about. Although this was a serious assembly, Page made it very humorous by talking about his experience at Homecoming as a freshman and much more.

Page started off the assembly informing the audience that it was a serious and fun assembly, which was quite enjoyable. Since he came here to talk during Black History Month, he informed us of many inventions made by African Americans, including everyday items like the brush, comb, and traffic light. Without these inventions, our everyday lives would be changed and these inventions as well as many more we have African Americans to thank for. Through Black History Month, we recognize and remember how these African Americans shaped America. Through their views on equality, inventions, and cultural diffusion, African Americans shaped the current state of America and are honored during the month of February.

Later during the assembly, Page informed us of the story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott we heard of in school and in textbooks. The story most of us have heard of is that Rosa Parks sat down on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama; after a long, and hard day of work, she refused to give her seat up to a white man which caused a conflict. Therefore, she was kicked off the bus and jailed, leading to the Montgomery bus boycott where a large number of African Americans refused to ride the bus to work and to walk until changes were made for them on public transportation. He told us that Rosa Parks refusing her seat to a white man was, in fact, planned. Rosa Parks was not even the initial person to be involved in the controversy on the bus. The first African American lady planned for the protest got pregnant and they decided to not have her subjected to backlash for the event. This was a very interesting circumstance because many people in the audience, including myself were unaware of this untold story.

On a less serious conversation, Page talked about his nervousness as a freshman in asking out a 17-year-old to Homecoming. He got up in front of the whole school at an assembly and wrote a beautiful poem, winning the heart of the girl. Christian Pages‘ amazing speeches are available on YouTube for you to hear, and his experiences and story- telling abilities made for an unforgettable assembly. With the appearance of Page, Issaquah High was able to hear Page and his remarkable speech on Martin Luther King Jr. And the significance of celebrating the importance of Black Americans.