On Tuesday, Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation’s first black commander-in-chief. It is only fitting that it should happen as Creighton University kicked off a week of celebrating one of this country’s greatest leaders of the Civil Rights movement.
For the past week, Creighton has celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Appreciation Week.
John Pierce, associate vice president for Affirmative Action and Diversity Outreach, said the week started as an event that was put on primarily by the Black Employee Network and the Black Student Association. It evolved so now it’s a university-wide event.
The events are organized and put on by a Martin Luther King Jr. week committee and they began with an awards presentation in the Harper Center Ballroom. Awards were given to poster and essay contests held at local middle schools, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy awards for service.
Business junior Jamal Jackson, president of both the Creighton University African-American Student Association and the Association of Minority Greek Organizations, was one person to receive a Legacy award. He received it for his work with the Martin Luther King Jr. committee.
“I have been very passionate about the works that the MLK committee has been trying to do,” he said. “The celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the perfect times to just have a sit-down and have a celebration that really calls into play us having to look at our differences.”
Wednesday featured the Unity Prayer Luncheon in the Harper Center Ballroom and featured keynote speaker the Rev. Robert Smith Jr., a nationally-recognized speaker and author. Two hundred and eight people attended.
Today there is a cake and choir concert in the Skutt Student Center Ballroom. Tamara Smith said the event, which will feature a gospel trio, was designed for students who can’t stay for the entirety of the event.
“It’s just an opportunity that’s a little more casual for the students,” Smith said. “It’s located right in front of the fireplace so as people are coming or going they have the opportunity to hear some gospel music and have some cake as well.
“It’s not so formal. With this event … you can kind of come and go as you need to.”
Smith said it is important for people to remember a message of unity during Martin Luther King Jr. Appreciation Week.
“I think it’s the fact that it reminds us that we are all in some shape, form or fashion interconnected with one another,” Smith said. “And the bottom line is that our survival … is not just contingent upon me and what I do, but in often cases, me helping somebody else along the journey and helping them really to visualize their dream and what it is that they want to accomplish.
“I think it’s just remembering that one person really can make a difference if that’s what you really want to do.”
Jackson said it was important for people to remember King’s determination in the face of adversity.
“There’s always the message that you can learn from him,” Jackson said. “You can do anything that you put your mind to, and in doing that don’t ever let your past experiences give you tunnel-vision.”