Martin Luther King Jr. celebration week at Ohio university
The 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration week aims to promote traits King exemplified during his life — civility and peace.
“He was a peaceful man and things that are going around nationally are things that are going around right here in our own community,” said Tyrone Carr, the chairman of the MLK Jr. Celebration committee. I’m hoping that people can take from (this) a sense of peace and a sense of civility.”
The week will kick off Monday with the annual Alpha Phi Alpha silent march and continue through Saturday with various activities and educational sessions. The celebration will end with the MLK Jr. Day of Service.
“I think it’s a way to celebrate everything in the civil rights movement and what a big piece of that Martin Luther King was,” said Lindsey Keck, a sophomore studying film. “It’s great to see how far we’ve come along in the civil rights movement and closer to race equality and everything he did to make people be seen as people and not skin color.”
Haley Cordle, a freshman studying fashion product development and retailing, said she thinks this week-long celebration will help make students become more aware.
“I think week long events are great because personally I wish I knew more about it and I only know general knowledge about (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) from what I’ve learned in grade school.” Cordle said.
Cordle added MLK Jr. Day is a big part of our history, and that learning about it during college years can not only make us more knowledgeable but can strengthen our opinions subjects going on currently.
Carr is excited for upcoming events throughout the week.
“When MLK Week comes around it’s always something good for the people — not just the university community but for the Athens community,” Carr said. “A lot of times this is the only thing happening in the surrounding area and people can learn about MLK Jr. and what his movement stood for and what he as a man stood for.”
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