The Black Lives Matter movement of 2020 put a new lens on Morehead State University’s celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. week.
The Eagle Diversity Education Center paid homage to King’s influence during the Civil Rights Movement through week-long festivities across campus. EDEC hoped to educate students about King’s work and impact on society.
“For me it’s always an opportunity to celebrate, acknowledge and recognize such an influential person in American history,” said Cory Clark, Assistant Director of EDEC. “With everything that’s happened in society, it just reminds us of how much further we have to go but also some of the progress that we’ve made.”
Shannon Colvin, Associate Director of Student Activities, said that MLK week is crucial in learning how to address current issues.
“I don’t think you should ever stop doing his work,” said Colvin, a Magoffin county native. “There’s always going to be something in the world that you have to overcome as far as social justice or injustice.”
MLK week was originally only celebrated for one day but expanded to a week-long affair a few years ago.
“We just wanted to do it for a whole week because so many people just celebrate that one day but we think the importance of it should be celebrated for an entire week,” said Colvin. “When you celebrate something for a day, it’s easy to forget about it.”
The week consisted of an ‘I am the Light’ campaign, a keynote speaker, the Art of the Quote, MLK Trivia, a featured movie and the ‘I Have a Dream’ Wall. Dreams were submitted virtually this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
According to Colvin, the events allowed students to feel heard.
“I think it’s a way for students to realize that their inspirations are important and that they should be acknowledge and celebrated,” said Colvin.
Clark believes the Dream Wall is an outlet for students to put their dreams into action.
“It’s a cool opportunity to be self-reflective and challenge ourselves and things we can do to not just better ourselves but our society as a whole,” said Clark.