Rev. honors King's life, beliefs

Some students lamented the decision not to cancel classes. As part of festivities honoring the life and beliefs of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Rev. Calvin Butts delivered an inspirational speech to a full auditorium at the Annenberg School for Communication last night. Reflecting the title of the University's official holiday commemoration -- "We Can Make a Difference" -- Butts focused his speech on encouraging young people to be proactive and to defend their beliefs. He stressed the importance of education as "more than just the acquisition of knowledge but also the appreciation of dignity." Quoting King's "I Have a Dream" speech, Butts called on society to strive for equality by reminding the audience that "no one is better than anyone else." "We can, we will keep the goals in mind -- the dream where lion and lamb lie together," he added. "Peace is in the future." As the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, N.Y., Butts has campaigned strongly against rap music lyrics that promote violence. In last night's speech he called for African American youths to "show their dignity" through voice and achievements in the arts, science and religion. By doing so, Butts argued, the African American community can "cause people to respect us." Susie Lee, chairperson of the United Minorities Council and a College senior, described Butts' speech as "powerful and inspirational." She noted that there is a tendency for college students to not be involved in their community, but she hoped Butts' speech would remind students to become more active. And Black Student League Chairperson Obinna Adibe, a College senior, delivered a "community address" in which he argued that the University should have cancelled classes in order to properly "show respect for the Martin Luther King holiday." Lee, who attended a morning breakfast in the W.E.B. DuBois College House and a town meeting in the afternoon, expressed her disappointment in the University's policy and admitted that she would have skipped her classes to participate in events had they overlapped. Although Butts also called for cancelling classes on Martin Luther King Day during his speech, he later said he understood the University's decision. Since the University does not cancel classes for President's Day or many other national holidays, he said in an interview, cancelling classes might have "disrupted students' academics." Robert Murat, an Engineering junior who attended the program and several other activities yesterday commemorating King's life, said he does not accuse the University of a lack of respect. "As long as it was recognized, then that's all we can ask," Murat said. "Of course there's always more that can be done." In respect of King's interest in community service, the University honored four local Philadelphians for their public service. Their acts included helping negotiate peace treaties among gang members and establishing the Saturday Children's Computer Program in Philadelphia. University President Judith Rodin was also present to distribute plaques to the four honorees and to deliver a speech. Recognizing King's support for community involvement, Rodin said, "We need look no further than our own neighborhood."