Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and others gathered last week to celebrate the life, vision and legacy of African-American Civil Rights Movement leader and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The remembrance ceremony was held in the Student Union Theatre on Jan. 17, 2012, the day after Martin Luther King Day, around 7 p.m. Originally, a procession was planned from St. Tammany Hall to the Student Union Mall where a candlelight vigil would have been held for King. However, rain and wind prevented these events from taking place. According to Cardarrius Murphy, Alpha Phi Alpha president and senior kinesiology major, this is the third year in a row that the procession and vigil have been cancelled due to weather, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of those attending.
“It’s just been our luck with the weather these last few years,” said Murphy. “I feel everything went well despite the cancellations. We just wanted to share the vision of MLK with as many people as we could. We’re working on getting more people to attend, but attendance is getting better every year.”
The ceremony opened in prayer, followed by a performance of the hymn ‘He’s Able’ by the Southeastern Gospel Choir and the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity song “The Alpha Phi Alpha Story.” The keynote speaker, Don Thanars, then took the podium. Thanars is the Strategic Planner for the Textron Marine and Land Slidell branch and is also the state director of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in Louisiana.
Thanars discussed the life and accomplishments of King, as well as his attributes of vision, purpose and action and how they can benefit our lives today. Thanars closed his speech with the latter half of King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech delivered on Aug. 23, 1963 in Washington, D.C. After his speech, Thanars shared his personal thoughts on King and how his legacy has affected today’s attitudes toward race.
“Martin Luther King was an awesome man. He had vision and he knew his purpose; he understood that his sacrifices would benefit all people,” said Thanars. “Today, there’s more subtle discrimination, but many of King’s sacrifices have provided a lot of opportunities for blacks and whites. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.”
In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination through nonviolent protest, which inevitably lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. King refocused his attention on the issues of poverty and ceasing the Vietnam War until his assassination on April 4, 1968.
Though King’s death was almost half a century ago, his dream of a peaceful integrated America lives on today through many Americans, regardless of race. One such person is senior organizational communication major and Alpha Phi Alpha’s Miss Black and Gold 2012 Keturah Green.
“I felt that this ceremony was a good representation and tribute to how far we have come and Dr. King’s vision,” said Green. “I’m carrying on the dream by making sure I follow the principles that Dr. King upheld: service, mentorship and scholarship.”