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Seventh graders stepped to the microphone Thursday afternoon and shared words spoken more than a century ago by a woman who risked everything for freedom.
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer," one student read, quoting Harriet Tubman. "Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
The student was one of nearly a dozen Marblehead Veterans Middle School participants in a ceremony unveiling portraits of Tubman and John Lewis, two American icons whose lives spanned the arc from slavery to the civil rights movement. The event brought together students, educators, local officials and members of the Marblehead Racial Justice Team to celebrate courage, leadership and the ongoing fight for equality.
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The portraits, painted by North Shore artist Anne Demeter, will hang at the middle school for the next two years before rotating to Marblehead High School. The works have traveled through the district since their creation, previously displayed at Lucretia and Joseph Brown Elementary School, Glover Elementary School and Village School.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate a meaningful gift to our school, two portraits, one of Harriet Tubman and one of John Lewis, painted by artist Ann Demeter and generously donated by the Marblehead racial justice team," Principal Matt LeVangie told students assembled in the auditorium. "These portraits will be displayed here at vets for the next two years, serving as daily reminders of courage and leadership."
LeVangie recognized several officials in attendance, including Eleanor Governor from the offices of state Rep. Jennifer Armini and state Sen. Brendan Crighton and Marblehead School Committee members Al Williams and Kate Schmeckpeper. Superintendent John Robidoux and Assistant Superintendent Julia Ferreira also attended.
Community mission
Lindsay Smith of the Marblehead Racial Justice Team explained the organization's purpose before the formal presentation began.
"I am part of the Marblehead Racial Justice Team, which is a group of people who want Marblehead and all of America to be places where every person is treated fairly and equally," Smith said. She described how the group sponsors programs and activities to help people learn about the history of all Americans and alerts the community when people of color and others face unfair treatment.
Smith issued a call to action for the middle schoolers.
"We also are looking for more younger members," she said. "If you are interested in rising to the moment today, January 2026, if this is something that you want to be a part of, please come see me after the presentation. It is up to your generation to start making a difference. We really need all the help we can get."
The school's seventh and eighth grade chorus, directed by Colleen Inglis, performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing" before students began sharing biographical details about the portrait subjects.
Tubman's journey
Cindy Tower-Loewen of the MRJT introduced Tubman's story, emphasizing the conductor of the Underground Railroad spent her entire life helping people escape bondage.
"Harriet Tubman was born over 200 years ago," Tower-Loewen said. "The color of her skin was dark brown, and she and her mother and father and eight brothers and sisters were all slaves. Harriet didn't like the way that white people treated her and all of the family, and so she decided to help rescue people who were being treated badly."
Tower-Loewen explained that Tubman helped many people escape from slavery through safe houses known as the Underground Railroad, gave speeches advocating for abolition and traveled to Boston multiple times. A statue of Tubman stands at Harriet Tubman Park in Boston's South End, she noted.
Eighth graders Claire Ceplikas, Alice Girling, Caitlyn Roge and Finna Walsh presented a slideshow about Tubman's life, covering her 1849 escape from slavery at age 27, her dangerous 90-mile journey to Philadelphia and her subsequent missions to rescue about 70 people. The presentation detailed Tubman's work as a spy and scout for the Union Army during the Civil War and her advocacy for women's suffrage.
Lewis's legacy
Lou Meyi of the MRJT introduced the portrait of Lewis, drawing connections to his own life.
"I was born in the 1940s, just like Congressman Lewis. I am an African American person who grew up in the southern USA, Louisiana for me, Alabama for young John," Meyi said. He described growing up under rules that made life hard for African Americans.
"Congressman Lewis did lots of things to help change the rules. Some people thought of that as trouble," Meyi said. "He accomplished those things with nonviolent action, and that's a key takeaway I hope you will recall."
Seventh graders read quotations from Lewis before eighth graders Londyn Ball, Cate Cruikshank and Catherine Wolverton presented a slideshow about his life. One student shared Lewis's words: "When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just you have to speak up. You have to say something. You have to do something."
Another quoted Lewis's characteristic optimism: "Be hopeful. Be optimistic. Never lose that."
The slideshow covered Lewis's life from his birth in Pike County, Alabama, in 1940 to his death from pancreatic cancer in 2020. Students detailed his work as co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, his leadership during the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, where he was beaten by Alabama state troopers and hospitalized for two days, and his more than 30 years representing Georgia in Congress.
Questions and presentation
During a question-and-answer session with eighth graders and MRJT members, a student asked who created the paintings. Susan Morrison of the MRJT explained that Demeter, who lives in Danvers, was inspired by both figures and initially gave the portraits as a gift to Morrison and her partner Jay.
"Jay and I decided to go further than our house, and so we gave them to the Marblehead school system," Morrison said. "It was decided that each year, the portraits can be moved from one school to another."
Morrison said next year the portraits will move to the high school, continuing a rotation that allows students across all grade levels to encounter the images and learn about Tubman and Lewis's contributions to American history.
The ceremony concluded with an eighth grade student reading a poem.
For more information about the MRJT, visit the organization's Facebook page or email infomrjt@gmail.com.
