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Students participate in the annual Martin Luther King Day march.

March honors King's life, mission

By Maya Soter
GVL Staff Writer
1/17/2010

Martin Luther King Jr. marched across the United States to achieve basic equalities for all U.S. citizens.

Today, Grand Valley State University joins in a national day of remembrance with a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.

An annual silent march at 1:45 p.m. will lead students across campus from the steps of Zumberge Library to the bleachers in the Fieldhouse Arena. Speaker Randal D. Pinkett will give the keynote address at 2:15 p.m.

Participants will honor those who gave up their lives and struggled for the rights entitled to U.S. citizens through the Constitution.

"MLK marched for everyday life situations - for everyone to be able to work in the same place, to use the same restrooms, to be able to eat in the same restaurants," said Bobby Springer, associate director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Students will read signs posted along the march path, highlighting key situations in King's life - education, marriage, achievements and other events.

"Hopefully all the people attending the march will expand and grow and see something that has never touched them before, allowing them to have a different outlook on things," Springer said.

King's marches started as a way to secure civil rights in the U.S. His famous March on Washington - at which King delivered his "I have a dream" speech - stands as the model after which the silent marches take place today.

"The silence of the march is a good thing," said Kim Greenlees, GVSU criminal justice major. "If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have come as far as we did with equality. Now it's in our hands to carry on what he started and to keep his mission going and demand equality for everyone."

Silence during the march will allow participants to reflect on the meaning of the march.

"I came to Michigan on the back of the bus, and I grew up in a segregated society," said Arnie Smith-Alexander, adviser and adult organizer of the first march on GVSU's campus in the '80s.

The celebration will also feature the first King complimentary breakfast at 8:45 a.m. in the Grand River Room of Kirkhof Center and in the Loosemore Auditorium of the DeVos Center.

In previous years, the university has hosted a luncheon with around 100 to 125 students in attendance.

Springer added the attendance goal for today's breakfast is 500 to 600 attendees.

"We are one America," Smith-Alexander said. "Dr. King marched for America -- not just for black people, brown people, white people -- he marched for all people."

GVSU will also host a live Web cast of the day's events on its Web site for those who cannot attend the celebration.

msoter@lanthorn.com

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