Wednesday, January 20, 2021
OSU celebrates MLK By Robert Owens “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” This is a quote straight from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s monumental I have a dream speech, from August 28, 1963. Every third Monday of January we celebrate the works and actions of Dr. King in uniting a racially divided nation. In today’s climate, however, we are still dealing with these issues. Now it is our time to take action and work together to positively impact the lives of our communities and serve as an example for others to follow. This Dr. Martin Luther King Jr day, with the help of the Residential Housing President Dr. Leon McClinton Jr, Oklahoma State University has created some events and opportunities of their own. Dr. Mclinton created a diverse committee comprised of faculty, staff, and students from many different parts of OSU; this way it is easier to create events that everyone can participate in. “We want to get as many people involved as possible,” Dr. McClinton says, “ I wanted to provide more opportunities for students to participate for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr day”. “We need to remember the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and know that we came a long way, but there is more work to be done”. The schedule of events was later created outlining everything OSU has planned to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr day. The events started on January 8th with an application for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr scholarship, which would have three winners who would receive a scholarship
The march passes by Edmond Low at the MLK Oklahoma State march on January 18, 2021. FEATURE
of $1,500, $1,000, and $500 respectively. The same day is when the Celebrating Black Lives Art Contest submissions were due. These opportunities quickly gained traction and helped promote future events. “Dr. King was a great man and a smart protestor, he knew where to march and how to get people’s attention”, prospective Industrial Engineering and Mechanical and Aerospace engineering students, Sebastian Gutierrez and Logan Thornton said, “people need to learn more about what he did, he was marching peacefully, but he targeted areas where police brutality was guaranteed and exposed them as the police targeted the protester, even sending attack dogs on the women and children”. This Dr. Martin Luther
Photo of march attendee at the MLK Oklahoma State march on January 18,
The march begins at the MLK Oklahoma State march on January 18, 2021.
King Jr day started with community service at the OSU Family Resource Center (FRC). The service began around 8:30 a.m. and ended at 11:00 a.m., there were about 60 volunteers consisting of students, staff, faculty, and administrators ready to help. The main organizer Dr. Elizabeth Carver-Cyr, the Assistant Director, Family and Graduate Student Housing, was overjoyed to see everyone come to support. “I’m thankful to see how many people came and helped fix up the FRC” Dr. CarverCyr said, “ the last time this place was cleaned was around early March right before the start of the COVID pandemic”. The volunteers had many tasks ranging from cleaning and organizing to gathering supplies and testing various appliances and computers. Dr. Carver-Cyr provided everyone with Personal protective equipment along with food and water before and during the event. Even with everyone wearing masks, you could feel the upbeat happy vibe from everyone there. “I had no idea what I signed up for, but it turned out to be wonderful”, Faculty Council Chair, Gina Peek says, “this is the easiest way for me to serve my community, and meet such wonderful people”. Later in the same day was the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr socially distanced march through campus, starting at the Spears School of Business and culminating at the McKnight Center. This march was to remember the sacrifices that were made, so we all can live in a country where we are accepted and appreciated. At the scene of the march there were more than 300 people ready to celebrate. After OSU senior student Calyn Adams’ performance as a guest singer, the march commenced. Throughout, you could hear speakers emitting Dr. King’s speeches, and handcrafted signs with touching messages inscribed. “No one in the black community has made an impact like Dr.King”, Andrew McGee said, “ his ability to inspire and educate is beautiful”. “It’s important to acknowledge the
Joshua Cleary
progression we have made as people of color”. Once the march reached the McKnight center, guest speaker, Caileb Booze shared some powerful words. Preaching about how we shouldn’t be extreme optimists or pessimists, but when it comes to measuring racial equality in this country. “Separation keeps us as enemies, because we fear each other” he said, “We must abandon our comfort zones if we strive for unity between us”. “I saw there was a march and I was all for it”, Mechanical and Aerospace engineering student Kaleb Runte said, “ everyone needs to understand what Caileb is saying, we need unity and the only way we’re going to achieve it is by growing up and accepting one another” The events wrap up with MLK Virtual Keynote Address and Scholarship Winner Announcement on January 19th on Ostate tv, with Dr. Brandy Thomas Wells from OSU’s history department as the keynote speaker. Her work illuminates how members of the National Association of Colored Women Clubs (NACWC) and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) pursued anticolonial and anti-imperialist agendas, and how they communicated, cooperated, and competed in the overall quest for civil and human rights. Finally, on January 21st, the McKnight Center will be showing the movie Selma. This movie portrays a chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s campaign to secure equal voting rights in an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965. In this event the winners of the art contest will also be revealed, but you can find the art of all the contestants in the basement of the student union. A great way to end a week of remembrance of a man who has fought for equal rights against injustice and prejudice in this country. We all need to remember the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and strive to make change not only in our community but everywhere we go. News.ed@ocolly.com