Whenever students, myself including, think of
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, usually the first thought that flashes through our
mind is NO SCHOOL. However, the
day is more than a vacation and far beyond sleeping in. Martin Luther King, Jr. day is an
awakening of a dream, even a revitalization of the dream, as lost brothers and
sisters unite in one social movement at the beginning of every new year.
On Monday, Kalamazoo College offered a memorial service
for Dr. King, Jr. and invited Harvey Hollins, III, the Director of Urban and
Metropolitan Initiatives for the State of Michigan and also Kalamazoo College
alum, to redirect our social justice lens during an invigorating and sincere
speech. Now, it is a hard feat to
shine amongst one of the best speeches the world has ever heard, Dr. King’s I have a Dream was playing through the
speakers as attendees filled the rows of Stetson Chapel. However, Mr. Hollins’ words were
assertive, succulent and crisp, like an apple pie fresh out of the oven, and
the audience was left with their spirits nourished in hope for a better
tomorrow.
It was like Dr. King was there himself, Mr. Hollins
captured the audience with his audacity to dare us, yes, he dared us individually,
to address a problem of our nation as he listed off the United States’
appalling statistics on poverty, hunger, homelessness and unemployment. He challenged everyone, all
generations, to join together in the dream that can be achieved, and he scolded
us for being so divided.
Mr. Hollins’ closed on an encouraging note, and as
his voice faded into the silence of the falling snowflakes, a sunbeam emboldened
his promising words and we left the chapel, each one of us, as believers.
No comments:
Post a Comment