MLK Day planners urge students to participate in service projects

Though there are no classes Monday, freshman Sachet Watson will be up and ready to go by 7 a.m.

As the undergraduate winner of the King Day 2009 essay competition, Watson, along with graduate winner Jennifer Davis, will attend the Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Leadership Breakfast at 8 a.m. to start the holiday.

The breakfast is just one of many weekend celebrations, said Laura Plummer, director of the campus writing program.

“It’s in remembrance of a man who paved the way for people to speak out,” Watson said.

The holiday is considered “a day on, not a day off” and encourages community service as a way to celebrate.

Kathy Smith, Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration chairperson, said she hopes to have as many students involved as possible and to prompt community service not just for one day, but for the rest of students’ lives. The celebration’s theme, “The
Power of One: Taking Action in a Time of Challenge and Controversy,” focuses on the difference a single person can make.

“It’s not just another empty holiday spent sitting around and watching TV,” Smith said, who co-chairs the celebration and its committee with Martin McCrory. The committee has been planning for the holiday since fall 2008.

To provide a way for all students to be involved in the celebration, Sarah Wilcox, student organizations coordinator, started “Write My Mind,” a campus-wide project.

“The goal is to get people talking, to get them involved in social justice,” Wilcox said.

Organizers hung posters at the Indiana Memorial Union, the Herman B Wells Library, the Student Activities Tower and in residence halls to pose questions about discrimination and different areas of identity.

Students respond to the questions by writing their answer on the poster anonymously.

Anyone can leave his or her opinion, and the answers will be discussed at the Unity Summit on Monday. After the holiday, the posters will be sent to the University Archives to preserve students’ thoughts and ideas for future generations.

Plummer said the essay competition gave students the opportunity to connect their work to King’s.

Watson volunteered in her hometown of Indianapolis, giving tours and doing crafts at a children’s museum. This year, she plans to start volunteering at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club with friends.

“Kids take time, and community service shouldn’t be a chore,” Watson said. “It should be something you want to do.”

She added King was a man of service and that his work affected everyone.

“I admire Dr. King,” Davis said. “His work isn’t finished.”

Davis used her essay to educate readers about contemporary slavery. Davis’ sister, Kathleen, is an activist for human rights in Ohio and helped pass laws against contemporary slavery. She was Davis’ inspiration for the essay.

“Civil rights are an extension of human rights,” Davis said. “You can’t have civil rights without human rights.”

Kevin Bales, an abolitionist speaker, also inspired Davis. She said she hopes to bring Bales to IU and shed more light on contemporary slavery.

“The goal is to bring the campus together and celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Roberta Radovich, program coordinator of the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs. “Dr. King’s message of social justice is all around us.”