Students remember King with celebration

A number of student groups hav events planned over the next several weeks to commemorate the slain civil rights leader. Little did Martin Luther King Jr., likely know that he would go on to change the face of civil rights back when he was a graduate student in Penn's Philosophy Department a half-century ago. In honor of King's visions of unity and equality, the University's fourth-annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration will kick off Sunday night with the annual Alpha Phi Alpha Anti-Violence Vigil, a march which will begin at DuBois College House at 7 p.m. and end at the Christian Association building with prayers and speeches. The vigil's goal is to "to carry on the torch" of King's message, according to United Minorities Council President Chaz Howard, a College junior and Alpha Phi Alpha member. After the vigil, a six-week-long celebration -- entitled "Keeping the Dream Alive" -- will feature a series of events organized by the African-American Resource Center. Several groups -- including the United Minorities Council, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Center and Civic House -- will host events to honor King's legacy. Executive Chairperson for the Martin Luther King Commemoration Afi Roberson said she is excited to see so many groups coming together to recall King's memory. "Dr. King's dream is still alive, and one person cannot do it alone," said Roberson, a staff member in the African-American Resource Center. "It takes a community." She said the goal of the events is to make Penn students and faculty more aware of King's message and feel that they are participating in it. Roberson added that the hope is to "keep the dream alive, not for today, not for tomorrow, but until it becomes a reality." And according to Valerie De Cruz, director of the Greenfield Intercultural Center, the various participants of these events want to bring King's messages to life. "What [King] had to say then is still applicable to the issues and concerns we advocate today," De Cruz said. Organizers of the celebration said its various programs will all focus on promoting different aspects of King's message. On Monday, for example, DuBois College House will host a breakfast to commemorate King's life. Later that day, At-large Philadelphia City Council member Angel Ortiz will speak at Monday's commemorative evening program, where the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award will be presented. On January 26, the Reverend Al Sharpton, president of National Action Network, will deliver the keynote address at a ceremony at Meyerson Hall. And the GIC will host a nationally broadcast teleconference January 27 focusing on racial legacies and learning. Students will have the opportunity to call in their questions regarding what colleges can do to help improve race relations across campuses. Black Student League President Terrance Whitehead said Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a "good excuse" for groups to work together. Knowing that King was a student at Penn can help build a connection between students and the University, the Engineering senior added. And by recalling King's dream of unity, the groups hope to "regain what his words were," said College senior Brandi Thompson, chairperson of UMOJA, an umbrella organization which unites 26 campus-wide black organizations. "We hope to stress the importance of his deeds on everyone, especially now that we are entering a new millennium," she added.