Marshall University hosts virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Day program

By Noah Hickman

Marshall University released a recording of a virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Day program on Monday where scholars and professors read some of the lesser-known letters and speeches from King himself.

The works include “Letter to Coretta” read by Professor David Cartwright, “I’m Proud to be Maladjusted” read by Professor Cicero Fain III, “MLK’s speech at SMU’’ read by Professor Burnis Morris and “The Other America” by Professor Georgiana Logan. 

Vice President & Dean of Intercultural and Student Affairs, Maurice Cooley said that it is an honor to be part of something special.

“I am truly elated on this day after 19 years of being here at Marshall University to once again bring to you on behalf of our president (Brad Smith) and all of our faculty and staff of this great Marshall University, the Martin Luther King Day of Observance program,” Cooley said.

After the opening remarks given by Cooley, President Smith thanked him for organizing the event and said that King had an impact on how we approach issues like social justice.

“In 1965, King famously stated, ‘in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.’ Those words have never been more profound than they are today as we continue to surround ourselves with systemic inequity and racial injustice. Silence is not the answer, we must speak through our words and through our deeds because in the end diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice.” Smith said.

There were musical interludes after each professor/scholar finished reading the letters and speeches in which they presented.

The song Stan’ Still Jordan was sung by Professor Carline Waugh while Professor Henning Vauth was the pianist.

King was born on January 15, 1928, in Atlanta, Georgia in an era where segregation was in full force.

In a speech at Southern Methodist University on March 17, 1966, King said that segregation not only affected Black people in a negative light, but also the United States as a whole.

“I have talked with leaders in Asia, Africa, South America and even Europe who said to me over and over again that if America does not solve the great problem of racial injustice, she can become a second-rate power in the world with no moral or political voice,” King said.

Thanks to the activism of King, congress was able to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed and it became law that no one could discriminate based on race, religion and sex.

King was assassinated by gunshot on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray.

There is belief among some including King’s family that the assassination was a conspiracy that involved the U.S. Government.

King said that the fight for racial equality is far from over in his speech at SMU.

“We still have a long long way to go before the problem of racial injustice is solved in our country. Now I need not dwell on this point, we need only to turn on our televisions and open our newspapers and look around our community. I mentioned the fact that lynchings have about ceased, but we must recognize that civil rights workers are still being brutally murdered and in some of our states today the murder of negro and civil rights workers is still a favorite past time.” King said.