Photo courtesy of Maddie Kauffman
Monday, Jan. 20 was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remains one of the most prominent and frequently discussed historical figures.
MLK Day has only been observed nationally for 20 years.
On the campus of Elizabethtown College, the observation of this day is an exceptionally recent development that reflects the spirit of advocacy that King himself embodied.
Showing the power and significance of activism, Rachel Jones Williams ’06 confided in professors that she felt that Etown should have off for MLK day to properly observe the holiday in the way it warrants.
She wrote up a petition and was able to get over 1,000 signatures on it.
Associate professor of religious studies and civil rights expert Dr. Michael Long reflected on Williams’ activism. “When I first came here 17 years ago, students had class on Martin Luther King Day,” he said. “Having class and going about our normal activities was not in the spirit of Dr. King.”
“I was delighted when [R.Williams] came to my office one day and said she wanted to protest for the celebration of Dr.King [on campus],” he continued. “Now, that was in the spirit of Dr. King.”
Senior Abby Williams also mentioned the significance of R. Williams and the work she did in order to get MLK day to be observed on campus.
“I think that [R. Williams’ petition] in of itself speaks volumes for the value system of our college … the passion that a lot of students have here is very much alive,” A. Williams said.
A. Williams emphasized the passion of students on campus.
“Community-based, the spirit [of Dr. King] is alive and well,” she said. “Institutionally-based, I am less sure.”
Specifically, A. Williams mentioned that she felt that advertising material produced by the college often took advantage of students of color.
“Etown is very white, and to advertise that we are not is very unsafe for minorities coming on campus,” she said. “Asking the same five students to appear in promotional material … is exploitation.”
This was a sentiment reflected by sophomore Des’ree McCloud.
“Diversity does not feel like a priority on this campus … I’m not sure how many people know about events going on about diversity,” McCloud said. “It doesn’t feel like we support those values that we should.”
While students may not always be aware of diversity-focused events on campus, that does not mean they aren’t happening.
McCloud herself was in attendance of Guest Speaker Vera Cornish’s speech that she gave Monday, Jan. 20.
“I appreciated how dynamic and engaging [Cornish] was … she provided a lot of information about the civil rights movement,” she said.
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Title IX sponsored events for the duration of the week of Jan. 20, honoring King and focusing on the significance of his legacy.
Most notably, two speakers were brought to campus during the week — Vera Cornish for Jan. 20 and Major Krystal Turner-Childs for Wednesday, Jan. 22.
The aim of these presentations is to bring nuance to the conversation surrounding King.
Associate Director of Multicultural Affairs and Coordinator of Pipeline Programs Dr. David Stewart emphasized this nuance when he introduced Cornish’s presentation.
“Sometimes I’m not sure we understand the things that had given rise to Dr. King,” Stewart said. “Those victories, those struggles, those moments that gave way to the Civil Rights Movement.”
The presentation that Cornish gave highlighted both the broad contexts that informed the civil rights movement, as well as the ways that individuals can manifest their goals beyond traditional barriers of race and class.
Cornish is a speaker, facilitator, author and president of Cornish & Associates.
She has participated in diversity activism at multiple universities, including the work she has done as the first director of the Institution of Diversity at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC).
Cornish spoke about her experience as a first-generation college student and urged the audience to develop a greater understanding of their “mission.”
“I was not the first [in my family] to start a business, I was the first to have a business card,” she said while discussing her successes in business and academia.
“There were people who saw in me what I didn’t even know existed,” Cornish said, reflecting on her growth in her career. “If MLK went through what he went through, so that I have the ability to sit at a lunch counter … I have the power to choose.”
“You have to take ownership of your life,” she said, emphasizing the power of choice. “I’m choosing joy, I’m choosing happiness, I’m choosing my career.”
Major Krystal Turner-Childs ‘05 is a PA state trooper and an Etown alumnus who focused her presentation on her experience in law enforcement. More broadly, she spoke about the importance of leadership in the context of King’s legacy.
“The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom … offered a vision of the United States free of both racial and economic inequality,” Turner-Childs said in an email interview. “Are we there yet?”
“A movement of persistent people cannot be guided by political party or elections. It must be guided by the human condition … When persistent people decide to move, politics and politicians have no choice but to follow,” Turner-Childs said.
“Lead with compassion and humility,” Turner-Childs said. “Challenge inhumanity… celebrating MLK day gives us a chance to reflect and measure our progress.”
These presentations allow for Etown to contextualize itself in broader conversations about passion, activism and actualization.
“Life is a process! Be open to full participation!” Cornish said in an email interview, reflecting on what she hoped students would take away from her presentation.
“Engage in the comprehensiveness of the academic environment that you have chosen and translate it into being mission-driven.”
Stewart emphasized the importance of students connecting meaningfully to the legacy of King through their connection to the college.
“Each year we celebrate Dr. King’s message and his quest for social justice and equality. These issues are around us everyday,” Stewart said. “Institutions like Elizabethtown need to continue to prepare our students to fight these battles — for social justice, income equality, examining the criminal justice system.”
However, there remains concern that the college is not doing everything it can in order to prepare students to engage meaningfully with issues of social justice. When discussing the impact of Dr. King, these concerns rose to the surface.
“I would also like to see the administration start to take Dr. King’s commitment to peace more seriously than it does. Cutting the peace and conflict studies program … is directly contradictory to the spirit of Dr. King,” Long said. “People who crunch numbers without considering the mission of the College, which includes a commitment to peace and nonviolence, do not act in the spirit of Dr. King.”
Embracing the legacy of King requires a commitment to peace-keeping and engaging in the world with determination and nuance. It involves strong passion and leadership among students, as emphasized by A. Williams and McCloud. It involves a commitment to one’s self and their personal goals, as discussed by Cornish. It involves leadership and an understanding of intersectionality — as noted by Turner-Childs.
The spirit of King is alive and well on campus in no small part because of the dedication of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Title IX which has worked to bring influential speakers to campus. The spirit of King is also alive in the scholarship of Long, who has written and taught about the theory and history of nonviolent resistance in the civil rights movement for over a decade.
The work of King is not done, nor are we as individuals done fighting our own battles. Whether they be personal hardships or larger causes, the legacy of King mandates action.
“It is a day on, not a day off,” Stewart said. “My encouragement would be to take ownership of one of these issues and find out how you can be of service to the improvement of these social conditions.”
Committing to advocacy is a continuous process of prioritizing diversity and social justice through activism and education.
“We claim to promote diversity [on campus], but the thing about promoting diversity is that you also have to promote inclusion,” McCloud said.
Inclusion and advocacy mandate consistent action and a firm commitment to values. To embody the spirit of King means to acknowledge his work and his legacy more than just once a year.
“If I had one wish for the campus, it would be for students to allow the spirit of Dr. King to encourage them to stand up for what is right, what is true and what is just,” Long said.
