With his mother at his side, fifth grader Jeffrey Odom beamed as he walked into the King Lab School for Wednesday night’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day assembly.

“We are going to be singing a few songs like ‘We Shall Overcome,’ to honor Martin Luther King for his work,” he said.

Colorful paintings displaying the words “love,” “liberty,” “peace” and “respect” decorated the main lobby of the Evanston elementary school. The visuals made up only a small part of the magnet school’s celebration of King’s life and goals.

Students at the elementary school used various art forms to depict the themes from the slavery and Civil War periods of African-American history and to celebrate the civil rights struggle that King led in the 1960s.

Students also participated in two assemblies Tuesday, one in the morning and one at night. In the first, kindergartners and first- and second-grade students sang songs and performed skits, principal Mary Werner said.

Third through eighth graders led the evening assembly.

The advanced orchestra played, the chorus sang and students read poetry from individuals who shared King’s beliefs, said Anne Lefkovitz, fine arts coordinator.

“Today’s assemblies are the most significant events in our school year,” Lefkovitz said. “Even in our mission statement, we say that we are dedicated to the principals of social justice that King stood for.”

Jeffrey’s mother said she understands the importance of celebrating King’s achievements.

“I feel great about (the assembly),” she said. “He is learning to play an instrument and he’s participating in a good cause.”

Other parents echoed her sentiments.

“I think it’s great for my Caucasian son especially to be expressing his thanks to Dr. King,” Paul Magura said. “Martin Luther King represented a lot to our society. The equality that he strove for should exist in all societies, with race particularly.”

Along with singing and reading poetry, the students also wrote their own speeches and researched other leaders who worked for equality.

“One student is speaking of our late principal, Corinne Schumacher, and her dedication to the principles that King stood for,” Lefkovitz said. “The students also made a tribute to Gwendolyn Brooks, an African-American writer, by reading a selection of her poems.”

Students also read the work of other poets, such as Naomi Long Madgett.

“I am reading a poem called ‘Alabama Centennial,’ which is about African Americans protesting for better rights,” sixth grader Catherine Sanders said. “I think it’s an important way to show what Martin Luther King has done for everyone.”