Although the messages of Martin Luther King Jr. were delivered more than five decades ago, the theme at the Franklin College event honoring his life Monday revolved around societal change that is still needed.
Following a service at Richardson Chapel led by Rev. Richard Bray, community partnerships manager of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, students, staff and members of the public marched from the Indiana Alpha Gazebo to Richardson Chapel, carrying signs with messages including “I march for equality” and “I march for civil rights.”
The events of the day were an important way for minority students to get their voices heard, said Tom Samuel, a sophomore who leads the college’s Brother to Brother group, a group for male students of color.
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“I think it’s important because there’s not a lot of minorities represented here,” Samuel said. “It means a lot to everyone in the minority community at the campus.”
Dr. King’s vision and the messages of the Black Lives Matter movement are still needed today, said Jennifer Mann, administrative assistant for student success.
“I’m marching for hope,” Mann said. “Essentially, it’s the coming together of community and moving in solidarity toward a kinder community and country.”
Immediately after the march, Lisa Coffman, a Franklin College alumna and member of the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, presented the Martin Luther King Day convocation lecture at the chapel. During her speech, she delved into the theme of “The Relentless Pursuit of Dr. King’s Dream Today.”
“If there are students of color here who are struggling, that is your issue. If you are in a community with people who are struggling, then you’re struggling too,” Coffman said. “Dr. King’s call to action means we can’t sit idly by when (black) children are being followed in the store and neighbors can’t use the park because it’s not accessible.”
“Our experience of being profiled in shops around town sadly hasn’t changed,” she said.
Monday evening, Franklin College showed the film “Moonlight,” a coming of age story about a gay black boy. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
It is important for people to recognize King for his contributions to civil rights rather than just looking at Monday as a day off, said Terri Roberts-Leonard, director of diversity and inclusion for Franklin College.
“We want to make sure it’s recognized as what it is, and not just a day when the banks are closed and the schools are closed,” Roberts-Leonard said last week. “It’s there to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
