Abundant Hope in Action: Celebrating the legacy of MLK Jr.

A City Year New York AmeriCorps member reflects on Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King, Jr., and supporting students in schools.

Finding fresh inspiration in “Abundant Hope”

Each January, AmeriCorps members across the country join millions of other Americans who find different ways to honor and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Many of City Year’s 29 U.S. sites host community service projects and programs to reflect on MLK’s enduring impact, including City Year New York.

This year, the words of Maya Angelou’s poem “Abundant Hope,” written in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., have taken on new meaning for Yaricuyay (Yari) Moran, a second-year City Year AmeriCorps member serving in her hometown, New York City.

Angelou, revered for her powerful poetry and activism, crafted “Abundant Hope” for the 2011 dedication of the MLK Memorial in Washington, D.C. In her poem, Angelou drew from her own experiences and reflections on Dr. King as a whole person—capturing both the challenges he endured and his unwavering optimism.

Yari says she finds powerful parallels with today’s world and that’s why she decided to share it at City Year New York’s MLK Day of Service celebration.

Angelou’s poem describes a leader bringing hope, a sense of fairness and ‘gentle wisdom’ to his fellow Americans, despite his country experiencing “an absence of compassion …. deformed by hate” and capable of war and cruelty.

“With a heart of faith

He hoped

To resurrect his nation.”

Abundant Hope describes Martin Luther King, Jr. not only as a civil rights leader, but also as a family man, calling out the names of his wife and children, and a Christian who valued other faiths. Yari says she was drawn to the poem’s relatively low profile, given how famous both MLK Jr. and the poem’s author are, and the new insights it offers into the humanity of its subject.

“I feel like the poem kind of embodies how Martin Luther King was as a person, as a father, as a spiritual leader,” she explains. “And then the hardships that he faced, but that he was still a very positive person.”

In a year filled with new challenges for educators and students alike, Yari said the poem’s message of hope and resilience feels especially relevant.

What it’s like to serve students with City Year

Yari joined City Year New York as an AmeriCorps member shortly before she graduated from SUNY Potsdam, with a degree in environmental studies. She was unsure what she wanted to do long-term, but knew she enjoyed working with kids in summer programs and decided she wanted to explore what it was like to work with them in schools throughout an academic year.

Yari said she found the work so rewarding, she applied to serve a second year as a student success coach at the same elementary school, PS 83 in East Harlem.

She especially enjoys working with fifth-grade English Language Learners. Her journey to City Year was motivated by a desire to support students navigating challenges similar to those she faced as a child.

Yari started her education in a bilingual preschool, and she vividly remembers the transition to primarily English-language schooling when she began kindergarten.

“I kind of see parts of my younger self when I was their age because I started out in a bilingual school that was heavily Spanish,” she shared. “Then as I got older, I started learning English more and more.”

This personal experience allows her to relate to her students on a deeper level. She understands the challenges of adapting to a new language and culture at a young age and the importance of a strong support system. It is this empathy and lived experience that motivates Yari to serve the students in her care.

Recognizing the potential and resilience in every student

For Yari, serving with City Year is about more than academic support—it’s about being present for her students as they grow, change and overcome obstacles. She finds joy in seeing her students succeed and in being a role model who understands their struggles and aspirations. The diversity of East Harlem and the vibrancy of PS 83’s community keep her inspired day after day.

“I am recognizing the potential and resilience in every student,” she said.

Her commitment to service is rooted in the same hope that Maya Angelou described—a hope that persists in the face of adversity and inspires action. Yari aims to carry forward the legacy of Dr. King and Angelou’s words, offering her students not just academic guidance, but hope for a brighter future.

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