After marching silently along the perimeter of UCA’s campus, students and faculty gathered around the steps of Old Main to commemorate the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Hosted by the Students for the Propagation of Black Culture Tuesday, Jan. 17, the observation featured a speech from President Houston Davis followed by a reflection from former gubernatorial candidate Chris Jones.
In his speech addressed to the crowded steps, Davis considered the work that remains to be done, highlighting the importance of these moments of expression to community and university values.
“I want to challenge you today to grow where you’re planted. Right now, we’re all gathered together, here on this spot in front of Old Main, honoring the legacy of a man that worked every single day to shape his world into something better than he found it,” Davis said. “All of us will, in just a matter of minutes, scatter from this spot. Every moment of every day, you find yourself coming to light at different points on this third rock from the sun. I want you to ask yourself, what can and will you do in those spots in our world? What will you do for other human beings that are in your midst in that spot? What can you do with your talents, with your time, with your resources — however those things are defined?”
Davis reminded the audience of King’s message.
“Dr. King said, ‘No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance, and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.’
“I frequently challenge all of our students, as well as our faculty and our staff, to leave our university better than you found it. My message to you today is a challenge for you to do the same in your world and within your sphere of influence,” Davis said.
Sharing a similar message, Jones took to the stage with words of faith, encouragement and action. Jones reflected on his time at Morehouse College and the impact it had on him.
“Whether you are a professor, staff or a student, your time in this season can and will be impactful. It will cause you to grow beyond anything you can imagine if you let it. You will have an impact beyond anything you can imagine, if you let it,” Jones said. “We are all connected. As a person of faith, I believe that we are connected spiritually. As a person of science, I believe that we are connected physically. Ask yourself, ‘how can I strengthen and maintain the network beyond this season?’”
Jones concluded his speech with one of King’s quotes that he found impactful: “I’m cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.”
As the event came to a close, Davis took pride in the work that UCA has done to honor King. “To me, it is not just about speaking that legacy, but living it. In the course of your day, as you come into contact with people — your neighbors, what are you doing about that legacy? We need to annually be reminded about why that’s important, why community is important and why looking out for each other is important,” Davis said.
UCA Junior James Buckley, an exercise science major, said events like these mean a lot to him.
“As minority students on campus, it’s not always easy to feel like you belong, especially at a predominantly white institution,” Buckley said.
As a member of the Black Male Achievement Challenge, Minority Mentorship Program and The Blueprint, Buckley frequently attends events where he can support others.
“I think events like this highlight our history and are really important to remind us of our culture so that we can feel more connected to the campus and the people around us.”
