Why Aren't Students Honoring King?

Marcus Calhoun

I recently declared that I would celebrate the "observed" birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Since one of my class assignments coincided with this event, I decided to attend the "I Dream a World: A Celebration of Diversity" event on the Florida State University campus.

From previous years, I knew that FAMU would have nothing to do with the "observed" birthday of Dr. King. It's funny how during Homecoming, every club and organization on campus holds some sort of event. But during the only black holiday, campus will be barren.

Where are all the fraternities and sororities? What happened to all this supposed brotherhood and sisterhood? Dr. King was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. Why haven't the brothers shown any appreciation?

You may ask, why doesn't the largest HBCU in Florida have any student-organized events for the King holiday? The answer is because I am too lazy to run for a student government position.

This may seem egotistical, but it's true. If I were your student government president, we would have a Martin Luther King Jr. Day extravaganza.

Recently, I found myself moved by Dr. King's legacy of nonviolence. When an argument broke out at a party, a friend who was the catalyst walked away from the incident. Later that evening, I questioned him about it and he told me, "I've got Martin on my wall for a reason." He was referring to a poster of Dr. King that he had displayed.

It was an epiphany. I felt enlightened. I had finally understood the full extent of King's message. It was not all about black vs. white; it was more about a peace of mind.

Don't let FAMU's lack of celebration discourage you. Don't let MLK Day disappear completely.

Marcus Calhoun, a senior public relations student at Florida A&M University from Birmingham, Ala., is an assistant opinions editor at The Famuan. He can be reached at [email protected].

Posted Jan. 20, 2004