Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work as an activist and the legacy he left after he passed.
The university uses the holiday as an opportunity for a day of learning. This year the theme was “A New Day for All of Us”.
This year’s theme is especially meaningful because it’s the first year since COVID-19 that the event has been in person.
“Thinking of all the reckoning that happened during COVID, whether it be healthwise, racial injustice being at the forefront; we really wanted the first year back to be impactful,” says Mikayla Carter, associate director for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
The keynote speaker this year, Zellie Imani, is a community activist, teacher and multi-hyphenate from Paterson, New Jersey. He is involved in a considerable amount of work with the Black Lives Matter movement in Paterson, as well as many other organizations based in his community.
He discussed numerous points, one of which being mutual aid. Carter noted that mutual aid is the idea of “helping out your neighbor, because at some point, we all need help.”
This year’s MLK Day of Learning also offered multiple workshops and community outreach opportunities. Students had the chance to make donations to the NAACP in order to support the restoration of deteriorating water systems in southern states, as well as to update voter registration.
Workshops encouraged people with diverse perspectives to engage in dialogue and offer their insights to each discussion topic. “How Imperialists Took Our Movement and How We Can Get it Back,” and a “Call to Action Toward a More Just Society: Community Leaders Speak” were two of the workshops offered.
In addition to workshops, there was also a kids corner for children 12 years and younger. It was a chance for kids to do different activities relating to the event.
There are many ways to get involved in a future MLK Day of Learning by volunteering or joining a planning committee.
“COVID took a lot away from everyone. Everyone lost something to the pandemic, but to give a piece of what life was like before the pandemic and to see the community members who have been going for years, it was truly priceless,” Carter said.
This year’s MLK Day of Learning wasn’t just about King; it was about seeing the people come together and be united for something positive and to talk about all the great things done in King’s name while looking forward to a brighter future together.
