The University’s plans to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day consist of a plethora of events, ranging from a candlelight vigil Monday, hosted by the National Pan-Hellenic Council, to a performing arts night Thursday, at which BRCC, Southern, and LSU students can showcase their talents.
Monturios Howard, president of NAACP at LSU, said he believes that during MLK Day celebrations, we sometimes overlook some of Dr. King’s traits that are essential to understanding his character and what he stood for.
“We like to give these great, glamorous stories that [Martin Luther King Jr.] was a man of peace … but what we don’t talk about is his sense of urgency about change now and not later,” Howard said.
Howard said he believes celebrating history, serving others and the urgent push for change should transcend Jan. 20 into every other day of the year.
“You’re here for a moment and not here for a movement,” Howard said.
Nevertheless, Howard said he enjoys MLK Day celebrations, and the University will have no shortage of those in the coming week.
A student committee of University and BRCC students, called the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration committee, planned events to honor MLK Day as a day of serving others. Among these events is a Day of Service to take place on Jan. 16, which Howard said is a cornerstone of what Dr. King preached and did throughout his life.
To further serve the community, the University Food Pantry Drive has been going on since the beginning of the new year and will continue until the end of the month.
Wes Heath, assistant director for Cross-Cultural Affairs, said the MLK celebration is so large at the University that having a student-run committee to plan these events is a big help.
“There’s so many events … and having students that are committed to the mission of MLK really pulls these events together,” Heath said.
While members of the NAACP at LSU will be attending and supporting the events that take place next week, Howard said he believes it’s important not to take away from what the MLK committee planned.
“I don’t like to take away from what has already been here … we tend to try to put on a ton of events which conflict with each other…. so what we do is just attempt to support that event that is already going on,” Howard said.
During Black History Month, students can participate in a variety of events hosted by the NAACP at LSU including the Image Awards, the Miss Imani Scholarship Pageant and the Sankofa Poetry Night and Open Mic Night.
Jasmine DeRiggs, chair of the MLK committee, said in an email she is most looking forward to the rebirth of the Unity Reception, which she coordinated, where community leaders such as Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, LSU President F. King Alexander and Southern University President Ray L. Helton will attend.
The University will also welcome civil rights activist Shaun King as a keynote speaker on Tuesday, which DeRiggs said would be the biggest event this week.
DeRiggs said it was not until she came to the University that she realized how important MLK Day is to her.
“Before it was just a day off from school to honor a man who had done so much for the African American community,” DeRiggs said. His symbolism alone is enough to give people hope that tomorrow is a step towards being better than what is happening or going on today.”
Howard said students who want to attend next week’s activities absolutely should, no matter if they identify as a minority student or not.
“If you want to participate, regardless of your skin, regardless of your gender, you participate because you believe in a greater good of mankind,” Howard said. ”If you’re not a minority and you want to participate in these things, you should do it and do it in good faith.”