I recently declared that I, Marcus Calhoun, 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 in Ruby Diamond Auditorium on the FSU 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 of the fraternities and sororities? What happened to all of this supposed brotherhood and sisterhood? Dr. King was an Alpha. Why haven’t the brothers shown any appreciation?
You may ask yourself, why doesn’t the largest HBCU in the state of Florida have any 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 non-violence. When an argument broke out at a party, a friend of mine 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.
During this time of political rousing, it is best to vote wisely or maybe just for me.
Marcus Calhoun is a senior public relations student from Birmingham, Ala. He is a Famuan assistant opinions editor. Contact Marcus Calhoun at marcusb_Calhoun@hotmail.com.