On Friday, January 22 USD’s Center for Diversity and Community (CDC) and the Campus Activities Board (CAB) partnered to host an event for students to honor the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. day.
The CDC and CAB presented a movie displayed throughout the MUC for students, staff and faculty as well as various treats for them to enjoy while watching. The movie was also streamed online for those who still wanted to watch but did not want to attend in the MUC.
The movie presented was called “If Beale Street Could Talk,” a movie that takes place in the 1970’s and follows an African American couple whose lives are turned upside down when one is arrested for a crime they did not commit.
President of CAB, Kate Solberg, said this event was intended for students who were already in the MUC or passing through to stop by and enjoy.
USD Junior, Andelyn Fewlling, said she was already on her way to meet a friend when she stopped to enjoy the movie with a treat.
Solberg said the CDC put on M.L.K. week and this partnered event was a way for them to raise awareness of the importance of Martin Luther King Jr Day.
Solberg also said she personally thinks it is important that students on campus and community members recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the United Sates’ growth throughout history.
“I think Martin Luther King Jr Day is a day that shows what we’ve come to as a country and how we are going to continue to grow and change,” Solberg said.
Solberg and Fewlling both highlighted the importance of recognizing Martin Luther King Jr day.
“It’s not just a day for the Civil Right Movement it’s more than it,” Solberg said.
Fewlling said she believes it is especially important to recognize this day with students as her previous school did not.
“I’m from a small town in Iowa and we never got school off that day, we never even talked about it,” Fewlling said.
Fewlling said that because of this she wasn’t used to seeing so much support for Martin Luther King Jr day.
“It’s very liberating for younger people to learn about it, especially now with our first woman of color Vice President in office, it is inspiring so many people to tell them you can make it,” Fewlling said.
Solberg said she hopes that by recognizing Martin Luther King Jr day the community itself can grow.
“Hopefully we can continue to grow from those events and learn and that’s something I think everyone here can help do, is grow and foster better community lifestyles,” Solberg said.
