The Office of First Year Experience, in collaboration with many student organizations, held their first week-long tribute, “Embrace the Dream: Diversity Week,” in honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Beginning Monday, January 17th, the week’s events were kicked off with the Dessert Reception that included a speech by the President Shirley Ann Jackson discussing King’s legacy and its relevance today. Throughout the week there were discussions, luncheons, and presentations promoting diversity on campus, in the community, and globally.
Two main events sponsored by the African-American community here at RPI were the Gospel Expo: Lift Every Voice and Speak Out-Open Mic. The Gospel Expo, presented by the National Society of Black Engineers, was a night in celebration of Gospel music. Two community choirs graced us with their unique compilation of traditional songs, in addition to their own original songs. The Bethel Baptist Church group, an elderly choir that had an eccentric director, brought the emotions of the songs through to the audience. Many audience members sang along to known tunes, and others clapped along to the songs.
The choir from Macedonia Baptist Church was a younger choir with a ranging ensemble of vocals. In many of their duets, members of Macedonia Baptist Church choir captivated the audience with the passion evident in their voices. There were also vocal performances by RPI students and a passionate rendition of King’s April 3, 1968, speech “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” by sophomore Duane Granston.
The dimmed lights in Mother’s created the perfect atmosphere for the Speak Out-Open Mic event sponsored by the Black Student Alliance on campus. Students recited original and main stream poetry about a large range of subjects. Some were directly related to the legacy of King and others were about social issues faced in America.
The first hour of this event was mainly poetry reading and a skit about our American rights, while the second hour was a discussion. During the second hour, the question of whether to change Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day to simply Civil Rights Day was posed to the audience. Many interesting and unique responses were stated by the audience. Some students felt that the valiant work of King would be lost if such a change were to occur, while others felt that the change would allow a large number of influential civil rights leaders and participants to be recognized for their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
Many other events such as the 4th Annual Then and Now Discussion, a talk titled “Non-Violence in the Face of War,” and Ed Helms, were a part of this celebration of diversity. The closing events scheduled for Saturday, January 22 were cancelled due to the weather conditions. “Embrace the Dream: Diversity Week 2005” was a community effort that successfully celebrated the Civil Rights Movement in America.
Staff Reporter Stacy Johnson contributed to this article.
