By Hailey Gattuso
Contributing Writer
St. Bonaventure University celebrated the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 25 in the Rigas Theater at the Quick Center for the Arts.
The celebration, hosted by junior political science major J.W. Cook and senior journalism mass communications major Jasmine Foster, honored King’s legacy with music, dancing and poetry.
The presentation began with a video, “What MLK Means to Me.” Students and faculty reflected on the opportunities they had taken advantage of thanks to King.
“I hope that other students really know the difference of how things were back then and how they are now,” said a freshman who is undecided, Daija Jones. “In the middle of the video when our students were talking, that really showed me how much of a difference he made to African American students.”
Jones performed an interpretive dance with senior sports studies major Charnice McMillion-Martin to Marvin Gaye’s, “Mercy Mercy Me.”
“The program really touched me, and to actually be a part of it is what made me have so much emotion into how I contributed,” Jones said, “We acknowledged Martin Luther King Jr. and the goals that he wanted for the world and how they paid off.”
Solo gospel music selections from the Civil Rights movement, “A Change is Gunna Come,” performed by Jones, and “Oh Freedom,” sang by David Bryant, a junior English major, sent the audience into a roaring applause.
The impact of civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou resonated throughout the whole crowd with passionate readings of her poems.
“The Mask” was recited by special guest, Ola Mae Gayton.
“For years I loved Dr. Maya Angelou. I followed her career, and doing her work is something I love,” said Gayton.
Sophomore strategic communications major Nairee Taveras recited Angelou’s “Still I Rise,” an inspiring poem about African American pride.
“I think the whole program just embodied history, black history and our history and just what has gone on and what is going on,” Gayton said.
The celebration closed with a line dance compilation by the SBU Hip Hop team.
“I thought the celebration of Dr. King’s life was particularly inspiring because the students honored him in so many different mediums: dance, song, poetry,” senior Joe Ferencik, a senior philosophy major, said after the show. “This made me realize how I could pay homage to him in different areas of my life and not just on MLK Day.”
gattushr14@bonaventure.edu
