VALDOSTA – An assassin’s bullet took the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. On Monday, Valdosta State University students held a march to continue the American minister and activist’s legacy.
The Mu Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc, led VSU’s 12th annual march to commemorate King’s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement early Monday morning.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1929, King became the iconic face of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and ’60s, dedicating his life to ending racial injustice in the United States until his death.
Jailand Williams, the president of Mu Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., takes pride in King’s initiatives and actions, especially as a member of the same fraternity.
“Learning about MLK in school and now being a part of the organization that he aspired to be a part of, it hits even closer to home,” Williams said in an interview prior to the march.
VSU students, university representatives and some community members began marching at the University Center, down Brookwood Drive honoring the progress the country achieved during that decades-long struggle and to recognize the ongoing pursuit for social justice that continues today.
“This is something that we do every Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day to bring the school and community out,” Williams said.
The march concluded on the steps of the Student Union. A program with spoken word performances and a presentation by William Burnett, president of the Student Government Association, followed.
“I hope that they can take a look back and see Martin for the great man that he truly was,” Williams said.
The celebration program was spearheaded by the Department of Student Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of Career Opportunities and Volunteer Services, and the Mu Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. The program ended with a speech from Carla C. Jordan, the director of Career Opportunities and Volunteer Services.
Attendees participated in service opportunities following the program including a blood drive with OneBlood and Be Red Cross Ready emergency preparedness training with the American Red Cross.
“King sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged, and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest,” according to History.com. “He was the driving force behind watershed events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington, which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a U.S. federal holiday since 1986.”