Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Mu Kappa Chapter paid a solemn tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tuesday, staging a silent march in honor of the civil rights leader.
The march wound its way from Cheadle Hall to the Women’s Center lawn, with Alpha Phi Alpha President David Brown leading the procession while holding up a large black marquee with two other fraternity members. Twenty-five students, faculty and fraternity members participated in the march.
Brown, a senior law & society major, said the event was held to commemorate King’s life and his historic contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
“This march is just about remembering Dr. King,” Brown said. “Sometimes we get caught up in the rigors of daily life and forget his legacy.”
Several faculty members participated in the march, including Vice Chancellor Michael Young. Many Alpha Phi Alpha members shook hands with Young and thanked him for his support following the march.
Young said he was glad to be a part of the event.
“Both personally and professionally, I needed to be here,” Young said. “[King’s] work is fundamental to the opportunities I’ve been given. I think that the silent march is particularly powerful as a way of symbolizing the character of Dr. Martin Luther King.”
As the silent group proceeded through crowded areas of campus such as the Arbor, it attracted the attention of many curious passersby. Fourth-year psychology major Jenny Childers said she was impressed by the event.
“The march was very respectful,” Childers said.
Retired French and Italian professor Harry Lawton said he was struck by the poignancy of the march and its wordless tribute to the man whose life it commemorated.
“I didn’t know what was going on at first,” Lawton said. “But I was in SB the day [King’s assassination] occurred. It was a hell of a blow.”
Upon reaching the Women’s Center lawn, the group heard a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song co-written by James Weldon Johnson. Johnson, an influential member of the National Association for the Advancement Colored People, was the first African American to be admitted to the Florida State Bar.
Event attendees then listened to excerpts of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Afterwards, Alpha Phi Alpha member Iheanyi Nkwocha, a senior political science and law & society major, spoke to the gathered assembly.
Vice Chancellor Young said he was moved by Nkwocha’s words.
“I think [Nkwocha’s] speech was superb,” Young said. “When you think about the message of all people working together to achieve justice through peace and nonviolence … It’s extraordinary.”
The procession held in King’s honor is an annual event dating back nine years, said Residence Halls Association Assistant Judicial Affairs Coordinator and Fraternity Adviser LaDonte King.
Nkwocha said it is important to the fraternity members to take the time to reflect on Dr. King’s teachings.
“This is something we do every year,” Nkwocha said. “Peace and reconciliation are ways of building bridges. We should learn from Martin Luther King.”
According to its website, Alpha Phi Alpha was founded at UCSB in 1976, and is a fraternity dedicated to strengthening bonds within the African American community.
This article was provided by: Daily Nexus
Written by: Aria Miran
