On Thursday, Jan. 16, Purdue University Northwest (PNW) hosted the first of its two Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day celebrations and community events. PNW students, faculty and staff and members of the public came to the event looking to celebrate King’s legacy and consider how they can promote equality for all people in their communities. The Michigan City Chamber of Commerce, Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), Sinai Temple, and the Unity Foundation of La Porte County helped sponsor events.
Alexius Barber, public affairs and economic development manager for NIPSCO, and Britt Hudson, assistant dean of students at PNW, shared opening remarks. They emphasized the importance of celebrating King’s vision, stressing that we must all work together to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard. The attendees then separated into breakout sessions with others at their table to discuss topics as the effectiveness of nonviolent protest in today’s world and the ways that a college degree can assist one in furthering Dr. King’s vision.
Darien Thompson, chair of the MLK committee and director of Student Success and Urban Engagement at PNW, sought to create an atmosphere that welcomed rich discourse between the attendees at each MLK Day event.
“We didn’t want this to be a program where people come and just sit and listen to somebody speak,” Thompson said. “We wanted it to be an opportunity for people to have meaningful conversations with people who don’t look like them and who have different opinions from them. It’s very important in this day and age that the voices of our youth are being heard, so we encourage our students here at PNW to attend events like this. You never know what lessons you can take from these conversations that you can incorporate into your everyday life.”
This year’s MLK Day celebration also saw the debut of the MLK Essay Contest. Over 50 PNW students and local high school students submitted 500-word essays describing how they have been inspired by King and live out his tenets in their coursework and extracurricular activities. Each of the four winners were awarded a $500 dollar scholarship to support their scholastic endeavors. Three winners of the essay contest presented their submissions at the Thursday event.
Hammond 3rd District City Councilman Barry Tyler Jr. was the keynote speaker for PNW’s MLK Day celebration in Hammond. Tyler reflected on a variety of topics in his address, including King’s “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” speech, as well as lessons he has been taught by his heroes, Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman. Tyler described one particular way people can live out King’s tenets in their lives today.
“Dr. King encouraged people to recognize their own worth and believe that they have something to offer the world,” Tyler said. “Although times have changed, Dr. King’s message is still very relevant today. There are groups of people who are ridiculed and attacked because of how they look, how they dress and who they love. We cannot allow the perspectives of others to dim our light. We have to find ways to help others see the beauty in themselves as we find beauty in ourselves.”
Tyler closed out his address with a teaching from King that he considers to be of the utmost importance.
“One of my favorite MLK quotes reads as follows,” Tyler said. “‘If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. No matter what, just keep moving forward and keep progressing.’ The only thing I would add to this quote is that you should make sure you aren't going alone. Whether you are flying, running, walking, or even crawling, be sure that you are taking others from your community – particularly the ones you love and support and who love and support you – along with you.”
The second day of PNW’s MLK Day celebration will be held on Monday, Jan.20 at PNW’s Westville campus. Michigan City Chief of Police Marty Corley will be the keynote speaker.
Please visit pnw.edu for more information on PNW’s upcoming events.
