The Office of Multicultural Affairs and the National Pan-Hellenic Council have collaborated on a weeklong celebration including speeches, a candlelight vigil and a day of service to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Mass communication junior and President of NPHC Dominique McShan is one of the people responsible for planning the candlelight vigil, and he expressed his excitement for the events taking place from Jan. 20 to 24.
The newly completed African American Cultural Center will be utilized for the first time for a reception after the vigil, and it will serve as a physical representation of the University’s support of the events.
Allan Purcell, graduate assistant in African American student affairs, said the reception is a way for people to utilize the newly renovated space and raise awareness of its presence on campus.
Purcell said he hopes the events will help to inform University students that the facility is for everyone to use, not just African American students.
McShan said more planning went into this year’s events, such as sit downs with the council, advertising in the Student Union and Residential Life televisions, and organizers started working on the program earlier to ensure a substantial turnout.
Cross-cultural affairs coordinator Krystie Nguyen said a food drive throughout the week was also included in this year’s celebration, with five days of donations going to the LSU Food Pantry during a special presentation.
Civil rights activist Kimberlé Crenshaw will bring the week to a close as the 2014 MLK Commemorative keynote speaker. Crenshaw is the executive director of the African American Policy Forum as well as a law professor at UCLA and Columbia Law Schools, and some of her work has been used in the drafting of the South African constitution.
McShan said bringing in people with such vast experience and history supporting civil rights emphasizes the events the University is conducting.
McShan and Purcell agreed that the almost weeklong celebration is unique to the University, whereas many universities just have a day off. Purcell recalled that when he was an undergraduate, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was simply a day off from class.
The week will start with a day of service. Close to 200 volunteers will gather to do community work and have “a day on not a day off” according to the OMA.
“[Martin Luther King Jr.’s] message has transcended even after his death,” Purcell said. “He was a servant and the day of service follows his example.”
“His [MLK] message has transcended even after his death. He was a servant and the day of service follows his example.”