Greenville College Holds 4th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Published: April 13, 2021
Greenville College hosted its 4th annual MLK Celebration this past Monday, January 16, 2012, to observe the federal holiday marking the birth of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For the first time the celebration took the form of a Common Day of Learning with a full days schedule of services and activities to honor the life and works of Dr. King. Students and faculty delivered presentations and a diversity discussion panel was held, which provided professors and coaches the opportunity to answer students questions about how their lives have been impacted by diversity.
In the past, members of the Greenville College community have celebrated the holiday with evening events. Two students, Greenville College Student Association (GCSA) Executive Vice-President Imari Mason and Vice-President of the Intercultural Affairs Board (IAB) Maria Rodriguez, championed the observation of the holiday on campus and worked with faculty advisors Elizabeth de la Garza-Ahern and Dustin Fenton to plan the Common Day of Learning.
Mason, Rodriguez, and other students were involved in every aspect of the day planning and promoting activities, presenting in the sessions, and providing music and readings during the chapel service.
The day began with a chapel service in LaDue Auditorium. Choir member Lloyd Nix led worship and Teresa Blue Holden , assistant professor of history/political science and French, gave an address on the importance of the civil rights movement for people of every ethnicity.
Holden, who also participated in a faculty panel and sponsored a student panel, describes her involvement in the days events, This is an issue that I feel personally and passionately, so I felt that I was making myself fairly vulnerable. But this is my community, and there is no better place to be vulnerable.
The service included an excerpt of Dr. Kings I Have a Dream speech. Junior Michael Carlisles delivery of these illustrious words moved Rodriguez, who described the moment saying, Those words made me hurt for those who are still unjustly treated. They made me realize how far we truly have yet to go before Dr. Kings dream is achieved.
Watch a video interview with Maria Rodriguez, Vice President of the Intercultural Affairs Board (IAB).
Carlisles reading was a highlight for many of the days participants. I could feel the words come alive, he says, They were no longer just words on a page.
The celebration gained momentum as the day progressed. The diversity discussion panel was especially well-attended. Faculty participants included Head Football Coach Ordell Walker , Biology Department Chair Eugene Dunkley , Professor of Philosophy and Religion Kent Dunnington , and Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Brian Patton .
Coach Walker emphasized the role that sports can play in uniting people from diverse backgrounds. "The huddle is the place where diversity doesn't matter. All that matters is whether you can do your job," he says, "It is a great representation of Dr. King's dream - 'being judged on the content of your character.'"
The day's activities culminated in a second chapel service led by alumna Pastor Glenda Taylor of the Living Word Church, who provided music and a message.
Holden enjoyed the day's emphasis on intellectual engagement. More than just commemorating the life and work of Dr. King, the activities were aimed at engaging the Greenville College academic community with the themes of diversity and human rights.
Led by Professor Jessa Wilcoxen , digital media students presented several original works of design that offer visual interpretations of key human rights legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The digital media presentations included Wilcoxens own animation honoring Dr. Kings Mountaintop speech.
The MLK Celebration complemented ongoing diversity efforts on campus. A diversity advisory board of faculty and staff was established last semester and meets on a monthly basis to ensure that Greenville College pursues an academic community persistently and increasingly marked by ethnic diversity among students, faculty, and staff. The boards desire is for all students to experience the gift of interaction with those who come from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
While the MLK Celebration fostered opportunities for reflection and discussions about diversity, Rodriguez hopes that her peers will continue to recognize the importance of the human rights movement long after the days activities and events.
View the original works of digital media students and Professor Wilcoxen in honor of Dr. King.
