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Saint Xavier University celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a week of events from Tuesday, January 19 to Friday, January 22. The events were organized and sponsored by the African American Studies Diaspora Club, Mercy Students for Peace and Justice, Black Student Union, Elected of Zion, University of Mission and Ministry, and Student Life.
The week kicked off with a viewing of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech in the McDonough Chapel. After they finished listening to the speech, a small group of students and other members of the SXU community engaged in a group discussion. According to Paige Samuels, Vice President of the African American Studies Diaspora Club, the discussions were productive and had a hopeful tone.
“I think the conversations were very hopeful, there were not many people there, but none the less, we had a great discussion on love and what it means to be an activist. The general consensus was that MLK had a lot of bravery and love for the black community and America as a whole to be able to take on such a task,” said Samuels.
The Martin Luther King Speech viewing was Samuels’s favorite event of the week. She explained that the theme of love was a significant part of the discussion that resonated with her.
“Personally I thought that the idea of love was profound. I shared a favorite quote of mine with everyone which is from Cornel West’s writing ‘A Love Supreme’ which says ‘Just as justice is what love looks like in public and tenderness is what love feels like in private, deep democratic revolution is what justice looks like in practice.’ I feel this quote deeply embodies the movement of the 1960’s that MLK spear headed,” said Samuels.
On Wednesday, Students gathered together in the diner for an event called “Color Doesn’t Matter.” The event was organized by the Black Student Union (BSU). During the event, students put their hands in blue paint, and then imprinted their hand on a large sheet of paper. Norris Campbell, President of the Black Student Union, explained the purpose of the event in an interview with the Xavierite.
“The purpose of Color Doesn’t Matter at SXU was a way for BSU to get the student body at Saint Xavier to realize that the color of our skins do not give some more privileges than others. I wanted to show that equality is the message and we are all the same” said Campbell.
For the next event, members of the SXU community came together to make sandwiches for the Port Ministries’ Bread Truck. Volunteers worked in the Butler Reception room between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. They were able to make about 250 to 300 sandwiches in that time according to Megan Lavelle, Campus Minister for Service and Justice. Besides sandwiches, volunteers also donated bananas, juice boxes, fruit snacks, and cookies.
The Bread Truck provides meals to people in need in the Back of the Yards neighborhood six days a week. SXU students regularly volunteer to prepare and deliver meals on the Bread Truck. A group of students spent part of their day off for Martin Luther King Day preparing the meals that were delivered later that evening.
Also on Thursday, the registered student organization The Elected of Zion hosted “Voices Café Open Mic Night.” During this event students signed up to perform five minute acts of creative expression. The acts included spoken word and vocal performances.
On Friday morning, over a dozen SXU students attended a prayer vigil outside the Broadview Immigrant Detention Center. The group left SXU at 6:10am to get there in time for the 7:15am rally. Led by the Mercy Students for Peace and Justice, the students prayed the rosary, stood in solidarity with people being deported, and discussed the broken immigration system.
The Interfaith Vigil for Immigrant Justice at Broadview Detention Center is hosted the first Friday of every month. Students who wish to reserve their spot on the bus for next month’s rally should contact Genesis at garciafisher.g01@mymail.sxu.edu. The weeklong commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. concluded with a Praise and Worship Service in the McDonough Chapel.
The service began at 7:00pm and was open to the SXU community and the public. During the service, attendees worshipped together and listened to songs of praise. When asked why the organizers chose to end MLK week with a prayer service, Samuels pointed to the religious nature of the Civil Rights Movement.
“MLK was a reverend and prayer was a big part of his movement. He organized in churches, so it was very fitting to end the week that way,” said Samuels.
Yasmeen Abdellatif
Senior News Editor