Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration: Believe in Yourself

Atop a stage adorned with inspirational quotes by the man himself, the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration commenced on Jan. 15. Through the mediums of song, dance, poetry, spoken word and speech, the night’s guests implored their audience to consider the impact of King’s life and, moving forward, seek to continue his legacy.

Hosted by LT’s Black Culture Club (BCC) and Multi-Cultural Club (MCC) in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 19) and Black History Month (February), the event’s acts included student speakers, LT’s Steppers, Eurythmics and special guests Markell Mooney and Marcus Washington Sr. Some ruminated on the actions, character and impact of civil rights leaders such as Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr., while others reflected on ongoing issues in the field of Civil Rights and how society might work to overcome them.

“Dr. King is an influence I try to live up to,” BCC President Maiya Wilkins `16 said, on the celebration’s importance. “As one of our most prominent civil rights leaders, his accomplishments may not be new to us, but they provide inspiration for the qualities everyone should try to portray in life.”

Referring to the night as a “joyous occasion,” entertainer Markell Mooney said he shares a similar perspective. Poet, DJ and founder of Chicago’s only outdoor spoken word venue, Poetry on the Patio, Mooney was invited as a guest by BCC. Performing an original piece titled “Act Like That in 1985,” the poem urges younger generations to reconsider the degenerative lifestyles glorified by pop culture and to respect not only themselves, but the generations that have paved the way for their success.

“Before I learned the story of Martin Luther King, I was young and ignorant,” Mooney said. “His words taught me about family values—about love and about life. His spirit provided warmth for the foundation of my family, and that spirit lives through us. I believe it’s up to us to continue to pass on and share the knowledge, otherwise we don’t know where we’re going as a people.”

Reverend and LT alumni Marcus Washington Sr., the night’s keynote speaker, described Martin as the catalyst by which the doors of opportunity were opened for black Americans, but warned that the fire driving equality has faded, so it’s up to future generations to continue to advocate for their own success.

“Dr. King would tell [young people] to take the future seriously, to try to help each other,” Washington said. “And it doesn’t stop there. We need to go beyond that, to love and to motivate, if we want future generations to share our rights and values.”

It is this spirit, one of remembrance, garnered wisdom and self-improvement, that BCC and MCC hoped to capture, Wilkins said. This year marked the second Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, and the club is hopeful that it will remain an annual tradition so that it may grow in popularity and inspire others to live meaningful lives.

“Right now, BCC is not a well known club,” Wilkins said. “But moving forward, we want to stay together and grow bigger and better. We are motivated by the legacy of Martin Luther King and hope to someday have as big of an impact at LT as he had on the world.”