The second line of the Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
For more than 50 years, Martin Luther King Jr. has inspired citizens across the nation to reconsider their interpretations of equality and liberty. More importantly, he made citizens think about what those words truly looked like in practice.
Elon University students draw motivation from the the Civil Rights Movement that King led against injustice and inequality despite the adversity he faced.
“Despite the countless threats to his life, his family and the physical abuse he suffered, King held true to the belief that what he was doing was right and that it was necessary,” said junior Alexis Williams, president of the Black Student Union (BSU).
King's steadfast dedication to his cause is not the only admirable quality that students attempt to emulate.
“His tenacity is what influences me the most. When you are trying to change things, ultimately you are going to be faced with challenges but like MLK, you can’t quit,” Williams said.
BSU will not host a single event for MLK Day, but instead has planned a series of events throughout Black History Month in February.
According to Williams, these events will “focus on African-American Heritage, which is the nature of the BSU organization.
“We constantly try to remind students that understanding each other's differences is important to do on a daily basis. Like MLK, we strive to bring about understanding between all,” Williams said.
Separately from BSU, Elon will be hosting several events throughout this week to celebrate King before the start of Black History Month in February.
One of the weekend events is the Habitat for Humanity build in Alamance County.
The 26th house Elon has built started its build on MLK Day. According to sophomore Katie Mars, director of the Habitat for Humanity Chapter at Elon, “Jan. 16 is a big day of service nationally."
She added that the build has more than one meaning behind it. “We wanted to do this not only to honor MLK, but also all of the others that fought for civil rights and equality. This build is for them," Mars said.
Elon University students volunter for Habitat for Humanity. Photo by AJ Mendell
Like the rest of the country, Elon is taking strides to make sure that King’s dreams are becoming a little closer to reality.
Associate Vice President for Campus Engagement Randy Williams is one of the heads of the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education (CREDE), and is a leader behind Elon’s push to improve campus diversity.
Williams said he finds himself referring back to King’s sermons as he works to make Elon a more inclusive space for all students.
“During troubling times I just listen to some of his speeches. Hearing King’s optimism and hope is just inspiring,” Williams said. “There are various speeches and sermons that I have listened to throughout my life, but the most significant sermon to me was ‘The Drum Major Instinct.’ The lesson from that sermon was that anyone could play an important role as long as in that role they tried to be the best that there ever was and ever will be.”
King delivered that sermon on Feb. 4, 1968 in front of his congregation. He said that “deep down within all of us is an instinct. It's a kind of drum major instinct — a desire to be out front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first.”
That desire to lead the country into a new age of diverse education is something that many Elon students have been working tirelessly for.
“[I take] great pride in seeing the work that Elon has committed to creating a more inclusive community," Williams said. It is wonderful that we here at Elon advocate for students that are under-represented or are from marginalized communities, while also educating members of more dominant communities.”
Despite King’s millions of supporters around the country and the globe, not everyone in America agreed with him.
This was violently proven when King was murdered in 1968.
In an address to the nation on the night of King’s assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson referred to his killing as “a tragedy that denies the very meaning of our land.”
"If we are to have the America we meant to have, all members of all races, all regions, all religions must stand their ground to deny violence its victory,” Johnson said.
Program Coordinator for African and African-American Studies Buffie Longmire-Avital said she believes the misunderstanding that led to this act of violence came from citizens not understanding that King was working towards, which she said was "an improved society."
Longmire-Avital said she also believes that the American people misunderstood King's concept of redistribution.
“People get scared when they hear the word ‘redistribution’ because they think that they are going to lose something in order for others to have something. But in the end, redistribution just means that we are all gaining something,” Longmire-Avital said. “You don’t have to fear change, and sometimes the very thing that you can’t even imagine is still very much possible.”
Despite his short life, King’s refusal to fight violence with violence is a decision and quality still honored today.
“Whether or not you agreed on how he did things, MLK was an abnormal man,” said sophomore Eric Cunningham, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, whom King was a member of. “Despite everything he faced and endured, he continued to take risks by combating oppression and segregation with nonviolence.”
Racial violence may not be as prominent in America as it was during King’s time, but King’s risk-taking is something Cunningham believes could greatly benefit all Elon students.
“We are affected by collegiate pressures everyday," he said. "We sometimes become less authentic and conform to other people’s norms because that's what we think we are suppose to do, instead of taking our own routes and building something completely new.”