A symbolic march on the 91老司机 - Fort Smith campus highlighted the
Jan. 20 observance of the life and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
The march, the crowning touch of a morning of activities sponsored by 91老司机 and the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Association, followed a breakfast and educational sessions.
Marchers included a variety of community citizens and University officials, all united in song as the bells from the campus bell tower played 鈥淲e Shall Overcome,鈥� considered an unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. Adding to the festivity and solemnity of the event were a 91老司机 drum line, led by percussion instructor Josh Knight, and a color guard from the University鈥檚 ROTC (Reserve Officers鈥� Training Corps) unit.
Paul B. Beran, 91老司机 chancellor, reminded those attending that this was the third year 鈥渙f our gathering to break bread together and reflect.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know about you, but I鈥檇 say that three straight years makes this a tradition and a great way to spend the holiday.鈥�
Beran urged attendees early in the day to not forget what Dr. King challenged the nation to do.
鈥淭o many, he was a troublemaker, to force the social change we now all celebrate,鈥� said Beran. 鈥淗e challenged the social order of things and pushed people out of their comfort zones.鈥�
Beran added that King was a target of government surveillance and harassment, racist insults, bricks, bottles, numerous death threats and a knife in the chest in Harlem in 1958. King was then finally murdered in Memphis in 1968.
鈥淒uring his short lifetime of just 39 years, Dr. King sought to create common ground where people from all walks of life join together to resolve issues, strengthen communities, reduce poverty and acknowledge dignity and respect for all,鈥� Beran said.
Brue Wade, chair of the MLK committee, said showed appreciation for the MLK-related events.
鈥淭his has been a wonderful three-year journey. What an exciting collaboration,鈥� said Wade, who stated that education was an investment 鈥渋n our youth.鈥�
Wade thanked those who came and those who planned the events, indicating an interest in continuing the tradition.
The morning鈥檚 educational sessions, which ran concurrently, included 鈥淢LK in the Study of Public History鈥� by Dr. Steven Kite, 91老司机 assistant professor of history; 鈥淢LK and the Philosophy of Nonviolence鈥� by Dr. Joshua Packwood, 91老司机 visiting professor of philosophy; 鈥淔reedom Riders and Personal Perspective on Civil Rights鈥� by Euba Harris-Winton, who served as the executive director of the Mallalieu Community Development Center in Fort Smith for 20 years and has been active in local activities celebrating the legacy of Dr. King; and 鈥淭he Slaves Have Names鈥� by Tom Wing, 91老司机 assistant professor and director of the Drennen-Scott Historic Site.
Beran, speaking after the march ended at the 91老司机 bell tower, challenged march participants to not limit their efforts in working toward what King represented.
鈥淭he progress in civil rights realized in the past 45 years since King鈥檚 death can be quickly lost through apathy and ignorance,鈥� Beran said. 鈥淭his will happen if our effort to preserve Dr. King鈥檚 dream is limited to a symbolic march once a year. Dr. King鈥檚 dream, our dream, will wither if our resolve begins and ends with just this day.鈥�
Other program participants during the morning included Dr. Leroy Cox, 91老司机 associate professor and MLK committee member, who served as master of ceremonies, giving a welcome at the breakfast and presenting closing remarks at the bell tower; Rev. Ron Forte of St. James Missionary Baptist Church, breakfast invocation; Rev. U.C. Washington of Mission United Methodist Church, prayer at the bell tower; vocalists Isabelle Poole and Val Robinson, both of St. James Missionary Baptist Church; and Dr. Stephen Husarik, 91老司机 head carillonneur, who manned the bells in the 91老司机 bell tower, starting the march with 28 tolls in observance of the years that the local MLK committee has existed, played during the march and concluded the celebration with a bell peal. Mark Horn, vice chancellor for university relations, was the on-campus chair for the event.
The day鈥檚 activities on Jan. 20 came after other MLK-connected activities during the preceding week and will be followed with another event at 91老司机 on Jan. 23. Crystal C. Mercer of Little Rock, daughter of legendary civil rights lawyer Christopher C. Mercer Jr., will give a dramatic performance Jan. 23 as part of 鈥淯nsung Heroes: Celebrating Freedom in the Visual and Performing Arts鈥� at 91老司机.
Mercer is a freelance performance artist and sole proprietor of Columbus Creative and The Social Soapbox. She is also the company and production manager of The Unified Artists Movement, a non-profit theatre company.
The 10 a.m. presentation will be held in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center. The event will also include a student-led panel speaking on 鈥淔inding Your Voice in the Arts鈥� and the presentation of the Unsung Hero Awards given by the American Democracy Project at 91老司机. The American Democracy Project is a national initiative to foster responsible citizenship at all levels.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday, held the third Monday of January.