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Event commemorating King held at Erickson on Monday

January 17, 2011

The words of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech resounded through Erickson Hall Kiva on Monday afternoon.

The MSU School of Social Work, the Black Social Workers of Ecology, or BSWE, and the College of Social Science sponsored a panel discussion and entertainment commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.

Prior to the panel discussion, participants watched videos of King’s speech and a speech made by President Barack Obama in 2008 about racial injustices.

The goal was to compare the two speakers and the issues they addressed, said Susan Gardner, secretary of BSWE and event coordinator.

“I think it’s important to compare Martin Luther King (Jr.) and Obama because Obama signifies how far we’ve come,” she said. “We’ve come a long way.”

Aside from the videos, food and live jazz music, there also was a panel to discuss modern racial and socioeconomic problems in relation to the way King saw them.

Shani Saxon, vice president of BSWE, said things have changed since King’s time, but the problem still exists.

“I still think some barriers exist,” she said. “There still needs to be a cultural sensitivity.”

Panel member and economics senior Walter Bivens said more opportunities have to be extended to every person for the nation to live up to King’s dream.

“Until we have fulfilled every person who has the opportunity to live out the creed, we have not gotten to the point where we have fulfilled that,” he said. “We as a people can’t become satisfied with incremental growth. Until we all can do that, it’s nothing. It’s words on paper.”

Social work junior Caelyn Ditz said the panel was useful because most people already have heard King’s speech.

“I think it gives different ways to present the information,” she said. “It’s nice to have people who are affected every day to say their experiences and see if the dream has been achieved.”

Social work junior Kelsey Crimmins said the day was an important one to recognize and support.
“Everyone has their own opinions,” she said. “They take it in a different way and spin it to their own perspective. It opens your mind up to new choices and new ideas.”

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