Ronald Reagan once said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Each year as a nation we come together on the third Monday of January to remember one of the greatest champions of freedom that this nation has birthed; that is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., commonly known as MLK.
This year I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in St. Bonaventure University’s MLK celebration that started in the Thomas Merton Center and then processed into the University Chapel. This was a celebration of remembrance. As a community, we came together to remember the legacy of King, and also to remind ourselves that yes, we have come a long way since that summer day in 1968 when Dr. King gave his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech; but there is still more work that needs to be done in order to eradicate the many injustices that still exist in our society.
It is a fact that today we still have minority groups which include racial minorities, women, migrants, and even people of certain religious traditions that feel like second-class citizens in our nation. This is why it was extremely upsetting and painful to hear that the artwork from this celebration that richly depicted these injustices were vandalized by an unknown culprit(s). The purpose of the MLK event on campus and its artwork was to be thought provoking and remind each of us that just because we may not see injustice up close and personal in our daily lives, does not mean that injustice does not exist. I applaud the Black Student Union and members of the Urban Art Club for taking such a bold stance, and making public the many injustices that face not only this nation, but many nations across the globe.
So in the spirit of St. Francis, I would invite the entire campus community from students to faculty, and from Hopkins Hall all the way down to the individuals who we may not see on a daily basis, but play such a vital role on our campus, to continue to embark on a journey of understanding and compassion as we go forth in this new year. Instead of leaving anonymous comments on blogs or on artwork, we should continue to engage in dialogue. With this dialogue, we will continue to flourish as a campus community and silence the voice of oppression.
Joshua Maxey, Class of 2015, College Republicans
