WCU community will honor MLK with a week jam-packed with many events from a march to a couple of noteworthy speakers who had the honor of meeting Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X.
The office of Intercultural Affairs hosts Martin Luther King Jr. week along with the Black Student Union (BSU), Last Minute Productions and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity incorporated.
The week kicks off Jan. 16 with a service learning opportunity and a march. The service learning opportunity gives students the chance to get out in the community and serve local businesses.
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity incorporated is hosting the march to honor King, an esteemed member of their fraternity and a civil rights leader.
The march will highlight deaths that have impacted the African American community and explain their significance in the battle for civil rights.
“There will be three stops, the first will highlight significant leaders in the civil rights movement. The next stop will pay homage to the lives that have been lost due to police brutality and the final stop will explain why we march”, said Nu Zeta Chapter Chaplain, David Johnson.
The route for the march is around the WCU campus starting at the fountain at 2 p.m.
Guest speaker Selma Sparks will also be attending the march on Monday. Sparks, New York native and former investigative journalist for the Liberator magazine, was the last person to interview Malcolm X before his assassination, regarded as the “only woman Malcolm X trusted to interview him.”
On Tuesday, Jan. 17, ICA presents ‘Soul Food for the Soul’, a talent show that gives WCU students the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of their peers, this event will be held in Illusions.
“Well, it’s more of a showcase of different students’ artwork and talents that want to give back to King for everything he has done. Last year, we didn’t have an MLK event, so I’m super excited to showcase all of the artists we have coming. I’m expecting for it to be a fun and informative event that allows everyone to walk away having a new perspective”, said BSU vice president, Taylor Harbison.
Wednesday, Jan. 18, Illusions will be showing ‘Remember the Titans’ and dinner will also be provided. On Thursday, ICA is bringing in guest speaker, Coach Herman Boone, whose football career was the basis for the movie ‘Remember the Titans’. He will be spreading a message focused on creating unity in the community.
On Friday, Jan. 20, Last Minute Productions will present ‘Step Afrika’, a step show in which the (dance) company blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, African traditional dance and influences from a variety of other dance and art forms. This show will be held in the Bardo Arts Center.
To end the week, students will be given another opportunity for community service this time with local residents. They will be given the choice to help either local businesses or residents by doing tasks such as raking the leaves or helping with other chores around the house. See more details on the events during the MLK week.
MLK week is designed to create unity amongst the WCU community while informing the public on the changes that still must be made to progress the vision that King had. Although there is no one way to change the views of all the students on this campus, a week jam packed with so many events can definitely bring them together.
