A time to remember, to remind and to retell: IWU celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.
MOUNT PLEASANT — The paths leading to the historic Chapel of Iowa Wesleyan University were lined by a deep snow pack Monday as people made their way to attend the university's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Service.
The night belonged to a historic struggle — the efforts of civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The event honored King in words and song from students and included special speaker Abena Sankofa Imhotep, director of Des Moines-based Sankofa Literary and Empowerment Group.
The content was faithful, joyous and challenging.
DeWayne P. Frazier, university provost, opened the celebration with a prayer and spoke of his southern Baptist roots. His early days were not diverse, but his path in life would expand his values and lead him to a campus whose strong international program makes it among the most diverse in Iowa.
Next the students graced the stage. First the IWU choir and then others shared their favorite quotes from King and spoke on their meaning.
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. ... Intelligence plus culture — that is the goal of true education,” student Flora Hua said, reciting words written by King in a paper titled "The Purpose of Education."
She then added her own thoughts: “All ethnic groups are important and all cultures are important.”
IWU senior Xavier Moore selected a quote from King's book, "Stride Toward Freedom," in which King sought to counter perspectives of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 being portrayed in the media. The boycott was done to protest racially segregating public transit policy.
“He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it,” Moore recited.
King wrote that quote in response to criticism of the speed of King's civil rights movement as well as to challenge the silence and inactivity of American society, or, as Moore summarized: “Silence equals acceptance.”
Student Isiah Blain selected a quote made by King on May 17, 1956, during his “The Death of Evil upon the Seashore" sermon given at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City: “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”
Blain expounded upon this thought adding “when we struggle we need to persist.”
That sermon commemorated the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's school desegregation decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
After the reverence of the quotes the talented, four-member Student Praise Team took the stage and transitioned with prayer and a soothing singing of "Amazing Grace" accompanied by piano, violin, guitar and the sparse crowd also chimed in.
“This beautiful praise team and music, that was food to my soul,” said special speaker Abena Sankofa Imhotep as she stepped up to the podium.
She said she came here to talk “but you’ll started singing” and it reminded her of a song she learned as a little girl attending New Friendship Church in Des Moines.
She then broke out in glorious song singing: “Everybody oughta know who Jesus is. Who Jesus is. Everybody outta know who Jesus is. Who Jesus is. He’s the lily of the valley. He’s the bright and morning star. He’s the fairest of ten thousand. Everybody outta know.”
“I got that out of my system,” said Abena and she got down to adding more value to the evening.
She talked about the recent snowfall, recalling back to Friday night and the flakes falling in Des Moines.
“Eleven inches of snow had blanketed my driveway and I’d be sad if I would have to miss this event,” she said. “How am I going to move all that snow.”
She looked at her neighbors' houses which included two white families and an Asian family. All were covered in the same snow. She thought we all wanted the same thing. They all valued the ability to become mobile after the snowstorm.
She said there are value indictors that impact our lives — ones we are born with, cultural and others we acquire along the way. How do we break down what we value most?
Her friend, Ernest, had the answer in his value quiz. There is a list of 376 words or values and you select 64. Then you pair them off and whittle it down to only four.
The four values unique to her were family, freedom, justice and liberation.
“These values are as unique as a fingerprint to each individual,” she said. “They are a core of your being. It makes you human.”
Then she defined King by accepted standards. He was revolutionary, peace loving, God fearing and a straight taker.
She said he brought revolution in our values, in the struggle for our human rights and we are here today as a remembrance of Dr. King. That is what Martin Luther King Jr. Day is — a rehearsal, a time to remember, to remind and to retell.
She added since MLK lead the civil rights movement, we have had the Women’s Rights movement, Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate and more.
“A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies.” This King quote, spoken April 4, 1967, during his "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" sermon.
That sermon was delivered exactly one year before King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
“After the civil rights bill, America has moved into new era of revolution and a radical redistribution of economic power. The country’s infrastructure is in disrepair and is a reflection of our core values. Are we not concerned for our brother?” Abena asked.
So ask yourself, what do you value?
About Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of a Baptist minister.
He also became a Baptist minister and was heralded as a social activist and played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968.
King sought equality and human rights for Blacks, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest.
He is best know for his “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered during the 1963 March on Washington.
His leadership helped bring about the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act legislation.
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.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Iowa Wesleyan University's 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
