A small but enthusiastic crowd gathered in the Union on Friday to hear a message of praise and hope at the Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Contest/Poetry Night.
Participants expressed feelings of hope and encouragement but also said there was much left to be done in terms of race relations.
Poetry contest winner Lee Guilbeau, a kinesiology junior, said color was merely a person’s skin cover, and it was disappointing to see students in the Quad divide themselves by race.
“We need to break free of the chains of history,” Guilbeau said. “Don’t be blinded by your sight.”
Starvos Pierce, a graphic design junior, echoed Guilbeau’s thoughts.
“The dream is still a dream,” Pierce said in his poem. “There’s so much left to do/It’s up to us, young people.”
While some focused on the future, other speakers chose to honor the leaders of the past.
Jamecia Mayes, a psychology sophomore and first place winner in the oratorical contest, honored both King and other civil rights activists for their determination and persistence.
“If I could, I would thank all of those who participated in the civil rights movement,” she said. “Thank you so much that I can sit anywhere on the bus.”
Brandon Hudson, a business sophomore and second place oratorical contest winner, praised King for his non-violent methods and insistence on justice for all.
“He saw the uncertainty, and he motivated,” Hudson said. “Martin Luther King saw that equality was essential to the advancement of diversity.”
Donald Lewis, a secondary education and English senior, encouraged the crowd to keep the legacy of black history alive with their actions.
“Let’s hit them in 365 different ways,” Lewis said. “The preservation of black history is something we need to live for.”
Speakers also encouraged the crowd to focus on King’s blueprint of peace, justice and equality.
“They must become principles that America carries as a torch,” Hudson said. “We must offer real solutions to real problems.”