Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream in 1963, and the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee is commemorating his dream by celebrating King’s legacy in Athens with a week’s worth of events.
The Celebration Committee met weekly to pick the theme and plan the event, but most of the planning was completed by Thanksgiving, said Joan Zelaya, assistant director and coordinator of Tutoring Services and co-chair of the celebration committee.
Alpha Phi Alpha, the fraternity King was a member of while in college, will hold its 14th annual silent march and brunch, said Derrick Holifield, president of Alpha Phi Alpha and a junior studying English.
Tickets for the brunch have been sold out, but everyone is welcome to participate in the silent march, Holifield added.
The brunch will comprise of performances from groups such as the Athens Black Contemporary Dancers, poets and the main speaker Fredrick Harris.
Harris is a political science professor at Columbia University and is the director of the Center on African American Politics and Society.
“I am looking forward to how people react to the performers and speaker on Monday,” Holifield said. “It’ll be good to see the legacy of the program continue.”
Although some of the events are similar to past years, there are some new additions to the schedule such as the MLK Jr. Historical Display and a documentary screening of Gideon’s Army at the Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., said Stephanie Sanders, assistant director of Diversity and Inclusion.
“The showcase will depict how students of color were viewed at Ohio University during the civil rights movement,” she said. “I am hopeful that those who visit the historical display and timeline will develop a deeper appreciation of history, the importance of transformative leadership and how his legacy continues to impact change in contemporary culture.”
Holding events such as the weeklong celebration of King’s legacy is an important way to remember the past and look to the future, Zelaya said.
“Honoring and remembering his vision is something we cannot forget, and although parts of his dream have been realized, there is still much that needs to be done,” she said. “It’s important to remind people about what he believed in and what we as people are capable of if we believe and act.”
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