Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy continues to live on in members of the Penn and greater Philadelphia communities.
Last night, Alpha Kappa Alpha fraternity, the Multicultural Greek Council and Onyx Senior Honor Society hosted the annual candlelight vigil honoring MLK Jr. Day. Three ceremonies that began in Hill and DuBois College House and the Quadrangle all met at Houston Hall.
The group that came from DuBois College House, which included some people who are unaffiliated with the University, started their walk down campus carrying candles and silently reflecting.
The candles, many of which stayed successfully lit through the entire procession, represented both a symbolic inner light as well as the remembrance of King and all of his accomplishments, said Erica Evans, College senior and vice president of both AKA and Onyx.
Upon reaching the compass, Evans led the group in a verse of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," originally a poem by James Johnson.
The participants then walked, singing, to Houston Hall where they congregated in the Bodek Lounge to listen to famous quotations by King and President-elect Barack Obama. Individuals were invited to share personal thoughts or reflections that the holiday inspired.
With Obama's impending inauguration, the parallels drawn between the two great men seemed only natural to those who attended the event.
"The event is especially important this year with the inauguration of Barack Obama. This is a great time to highlight America's progress and hopes for the future," said president of AKA and College senior Demetria Smith.
One particularly notable aspect of these reflections was the personal pride that each participant seemed to take in the accomplishments of both King and Obama, who represent the changes that a single individual can instigate.
Members of the group also seemed affected not only by the events of the past, but also by the heritage that King and his supporters created for black Americans today, though King's influence is certainly not limited to the black community.
College sophomore Jade Watkins said of MLK Day, "I think it has significance for everyone, because Martin Luther King did a lot for the American community as a whole."
"It continues to show how important King's legacy is in our lives today," Evans said.
