Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the famous leader of the civil rights movement. He was remembered by holding a program in his honor.
On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the Academic Development Department sponsored the Dream Alive Program. The event was held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the auditorium.
The keynote speaker was Joe Rogers, former lieutenant governor of Colorado, who was introduced by Murrell Duster, dean of academic development/diversity and multicultural programs at NEIU.
Rogers has been profiled by many magazines, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Ebony and Teacher Magazine. He has been called “a political trailblazer” and “a young, articulate and energetic newcomer” by Ebony and The New York Times Magazine, respectively.
Yasmin A. Ranney, assistant dean of academic development, spoke very highly of Rogers and the event. “Mr. Rogers spoke to a packed auditorium as he invited us to take a trip back in time. [He] did a profound job in helping us to imagine what it must have been like for Dr. King during the last few years of his life.”
Ranney said that Rogers went on to expound on how King’s visit to Chicago left him disenfranchised as he did not find the support he was looking for. King went back to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama, and there he found the support he needed.
King went on to lead many marches to fight for equality for African Americans in the areas of voting, desegregation, labor rights and other civil rights. He paid the ultimate price with his life as a sniper shot him on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968. Had he lived, he would have been 79 years old this year on Jan. 15.
During his life, King visited India where he met with Mahatma Gandhi. He was so influenced by his works that he adopted his methods of non-violent tactics in challenging injustices.
“The speaker had us close our eyes as he quoted different parts of Dr. King’s famous speeches. He did an excellent job”, said Ranney.
In summary, Ranney said that Rogers talked about how the true connectivity is still missing in our communities. “In work we have to learn how to mingle, but we still participate in self-selected segregation when we eat, in our neighborhoods and in our socializing.
“The choices we make do not reflect what Dr. King fought for, and we have to work harder to cross the racial boundaries he fought so hard to break. The presentation was wonderful, and we all had a great time.”
The Black Heritage Gospel Chorus also sang “Precious Lord,” which was said to be one of King’s favorite songs.
The office of Academic Development puts on a series of Annual Heritage Conferences that help celebrate the collective cultural experience and heritage. These conferences are put together to help provide a place where people can come together to understand the influence that all cultural traditions have on coexisting successfully in many different communities.