Story and Photos by Lane Routzahn
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Although Martin Luther King Jr. day took place a few weeks ago, Cole Hall filled with music and singing voices at Wednesday night’s convocation celebrating the word and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The celebration began with Stephen Howard giving a very powerful performance of King’s, “I Have a Dream” speech. Stephanie Wilson, director of Multicultural Services, gave the official welcome telling the aud
ience, “I celebrate the iconic man, Martin Luther King Jr., for my paternal grandfather and my paternal grandmother.”
Talaya Heard was the mistress of ceremony, introducing other performances from Mr. Henry Eggleston and Ms. LaToya Washington with a duet titled, Lift Every Voice and Sing. The convocation included several more performances, song and dance, by the Elkton Community Male Chorus, Rasheena Williams, Rianna Hill, and the BC Lift Your Voice Gospel Choir.
The keynote speaker of the evening was Mr. Lacy Ward Jr., the director of the Robert Russa Moton Museum in Farmville, VA. When asked how he got into his field of experience, Ward responded, “By God’s divine intervention.” The museum was once a school, which the state had wanted to demolish. Ward with the help of others moved to save the school and turn it into the museum it is today. The former school played an important role in ending racial segregation in America’s public schools during a time when several counties had closed their schools to all children, in order to forestall integration.
The museum is about community, its citizens, and its children. “The voice of the museum,” Ward explained, “is a race neutral narrative. We are trying to desegregate the way we talk about desegregation and modify racial language to be more n
eutral.”
In a story he told a handful of students at the pre-convocation dinner, Ward said, “I have people who ask, ‘Why don’t you have an all black staff?’…and I respond by saying, ‘What you’re asking is why I don’t segregate my staff?’”
Ward continued his presentation, explaining the history of the Civil Rights movement and MLK’s involvement, along with Brown and Plessy. Ward, a semi-native of Virginia, shared that his uncles were a part of Brown v. Board of Education. He felt that it was part of his responsibility to help others gain a new perception about civil rights. “It took my looking back to get myself to the place where I could move forward,” said Ward, “America has a painful history, but a progressive history.”
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