MLK Week 2020
By: Megan Chicchi, Graduate Assistant, Dr. Rita Smith-Wade-El Intercultural Center for Student Engagement
MU celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a week of events from Monday, January 20 to Friday, January 24. The week commenced with the Crispus Attucks’ 31st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast. The theme of this year’s breakfast was Peace in the Presence of Justice and included a keynote from Dr. Fania Davis, speakers from the community and a performance by the dance group, Chaos Praise. Later in the evening, the second annual MLK Candlelight March was held honoring the life and contributions of Dr. King. Tuesday featured a kickoff celebration for the week which included food, music and the “I Have a Dream Wall” where students, employees and faculty could share their dreams for a better society. That evening, “What Dream America?” explored Dr. King’s famous speech and what it means in today’s context. Wednesday’s events included a screening of “Brother Outsider”, a documentary about the openly gay activist and mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr., Bayard Rustin, and a self-affirmation workshop given by Renardo Hall, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. On Thursday, 6:01 P.M. explored the last 48 hours of MLK’s life with a discussion on why he went to Memphis, his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech and his legacy. The week concluded with “We Shall Overcome”, a gospel celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. featuring Damien Sneed and his group, The Overcomers, as well as the JP McCaskey Gospel Choir. The lively concert included an eclectic mix of music from a variety of genres and was the perfect end to the week of celebration.