Inspiring Change through Dance: Dr. Shamell Bell Speaks at MLK Assembly

The annual Martin Luther King Assembly is a long-held part of Overlake’s culture. Dr. Shamell Bell was this year’s featured guest speaker at the assembly. Dr. Bell is one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement and continues to do work utilizing her passion for Street Dance Activism. 

Dr. Bell had students out of their seats and on their feet for much of the time showing how dance can be used to create change and unite communities. She also shared her experience being on the ground floor of an international movement, a place she never expected, “someone like me” could be she says. She noted that no matter what, she has always remained true to who she is and the strengths that she brings to the table and that has allowed her to contribute to the movement in a meaningful way. 

As a mother herself, she has spent much of her time working with other mothers in the BLM movement and she used her passion for street dance even completing her dissertation on the subject. Her love of dance came from her growing up years in Los Angeles and she encouraged students by saying, “your passion can be part of your purpose,” highlighting her dance background. She even vulnerably shared her own physical struggles she deals with on a daily basis but how she has never let that stop her from utilizing her passions to make a difference in the world, and neither should anyone else. Physical limitations aside, her passion has never wavered even if her body sometimes can’t dance the way she would like to. “I just wanted to contribute what I was passionate about to the movement,” she notes. 

Enjoy some photos from Dr. Bell’s visit here and visit Overlake’s Facebook page to see a video of Dr. Bell leading the students in a dance demonstration.