MLK events focus on campus unity

The university celebrated the life of Martin Luther King Jr. last week with an array of events including a silent march, movie, speaker and prayer service.

The events kicked off with Unity Day, where Rev. Derrick Parson of the Wesley Foundation presented a rendition of King’s speeches Jan. 12 on the commons. Sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Unity Day gave anyone a chance to share thoughts on the MLK celebration.

“This day isn’t for one group of people, it’s for everyone,” said Jennifer Richardson, MLK event coordinator.

“Ghosts of Mississippi,” a film about civil rights activist Medgar Evers, was shown Jan. 13 in Grafton-Stovall Theatre at 7 p.m. The movie was shown to raise questions and to develop a familiarity with the late Evers and his wife, Myrlie Evers-Williams.

The following Monday, Jan. 17, Evers-Williams spoke in the Wilson Hall Auditorium about her and her late husband’s experiences with MLK.

Poetry Night at Taylor Down Under was on Jan. 18 where students recited pieces of various subjects in honor of MLK. “People wanted to have something to say,” Richardson said.

A silent march in honor of MLK took place on Jan. 21, beginning at the James Madison statue and ending at the commons. The second half of the event, a speakout, was held in Grafton, where participants could reflect on the week.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a true change agent,” psychology professor Aashir Nasim said.

Zebulun Davenport, associate vice president of student affairs for multicultural awareness and student health, said, “Each and every one of us has an opportunity to make change.”

An observance of MLK’s birth on Jan. 23 in PC Ballroom concluded the celebration. The two-hour service was sponsored by IMPACT, a campus religious organization, and was open to people of all faiths.

The week was coordinated by Richardson and Trey Lewis of the Center for Multicultural and International Student Services.

Arthur T. Dean, associate director of CMISS, said, “It’s not how long you live, it’s the impact you have on the life that you are given. In 39 years, [MLK] influenced the world.”