The dream endures...

Although classes will not be held Monday and some people may spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day relaxing on the sofa, many others will be doing much more throughout the community.\nAmong motivated citizens, the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission and other volunteer agencies have joined forces to make the celebration successful. Beverly Calendar-Anderson, chairperson for the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission said the holiday's activities are intended to appeal to a number of interests and should enlighten a diverse collection of people.\n"I think the holiday was created to reflect, and this holiday helps us do that," she said. "We have created a variety of educational activities that will feed the interests of students, faculty, staff and others in the community."\nThe celebration will be preceded by an interfaith prayer service at 9 a.m. in the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union. Later, at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium, President Adam W. Herbert will kick off the celebration with opening remarks about the semester-long 50th anniversary commemoration of the U.S. Supreme Court decision of Brown v. the Board of Education.\nAlong with Herbert, Ellis Cose, best-selling author, columnist and contributing editor at Newsweek magazine, is expected to highlight the campus event. He is the author of a recent book "The Envy of the World: On Being a Black Man in America," and has appeared on "Nightline," "News Hours with Jim Lehrer" and "Good Morning, America."\nGloria Gibson, associate vice chancellor for multicultural affairs, said that besides being a well-established writer and author, Cose is highly educated on current race relations in the U.S. and should satisfy anyone interested and eager to learn about the subject.\n"The goal for Martin Luther King Jr. Day is to examine his life and where we have come in achieving equal rights for all citizens," she said. "We felt that Mr. Cose would be appropriate to talk about his legacy and where we are today."\nNot to be overshadowed by Cose's speech, Michael Gordon, former IU vice chancellor and professor emeritus of music, will be the featured speaker at 7:30 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. After several years teaching at IU and 10 years as vice chancellor, Gordon's return from North Carolina is anticipated by many.\n"He's a person that has been missed in the community since he has left," Calendar-Anderson said. "For him to come back and share his talents, we're really looking forward to a very dynamic lecture."\nGordon said he is also eager to return to IU and speak on a holiday that he holds close to his heart. He said although he respects people's decisions, he will be discussing problems that concern all people.\n"I think people have the freedom to make their own decisions. That's the whole idea behind the Martin Luther King holiday. There shouldn't be policies making people do things," he said. "But fighting racism is an incomplete job, and I think Dr. King realized that before he died. In fact, I think racism is worse today."\nAmong the many subjects Gordon hopes to touch on are the parallel views of Dr. King and Malcolm X, something he thinks might surprise a lot of people. He said that he also will intersperse his speech with slave songs to emphasize his points.\n"I think the spirituals capture the spirit of the '50s and '60s," he said. "I plan on using them throughout."\nGordon said he worked with King on several different occasions as a young man. Working as assistant principal of an elementary school in Petersburg, Va., he became associated with Wyatt Tee Walker, who started the Petersburg Improvement Association for African Americans. King used to come into town at night and taught them how to fight unjust laws, and Walker later became the first executive director of King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference.\nGordon said he thinks King would have mixed feelings about the current status of race relations.\n"Racism is about believing that one race is inferior to another, and that definitely still exists."\nGibson put in countless hours of legwork for the holiday. \n"It's something we should do every day," she said. "Martin Luther King Day just gives us a benchmark to celebrate his life."\n-- Contact staff writer Jess Huffman at jerhuffm@indiana.edu.