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January 23, 2004 > News > Gillis, students remember Martin Luther King, Jr. at vigil

Gillis, students remember Martin Luther King, Jr. at vigil

By Brooke Lathram | Thresher staff

Monday’s holiday was more than a day off for students, faculty and staff who attended a candlelight vigil in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. About 100 members of the Rice community gathered on the academic quad to light candles, sing and listen as part of the Black Student Association’s ninth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. vigil.

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Universal Message for All People: Let Us Celebrate His Life, Legacy, and Dream,” student and faculty speeches and songs focused on brotherhood, peace and social justice.

The ceremony began in front of Fondren Library with a recitation of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech by Baker College senior Jonathan Chism. After the speech, attendees sang “We Shall Overcome” as they proceeded toward the Rice Memorial Chapel, where an evening of song, prayer and oratory in honor of the civil rights leader followed.

President Malcolm Gillis spoke about the need to address racial inequality that still exists today.

“Our society still struggles with the cost of centuries of legally-sanctioned racial discrimination,” Gillis said. “Measures to counteract this poison still remain to finish.”

Gillis said institutions of higher education should adopt admission policies that are more inclusive of minorities.

“By standing up for inclusiveness, we honor Dr. King day by day and year by year,” Gillis said.

Four students spoke on the universal message theme.

ADVANCE Student Coordinator Mary Slater, a Jones College senior, encouraged listeners to use their individual talents to promote King’s dream.

“Which of your many gifts will you use?” Slater asked.

Student Association co-President Michael Leggett, a Wiess College senior, spoke about nonviolence, not only as a way of enacting social change, but also as a way of life.

Rice NAACP President Alicia Malik, a Lovett College junior, discussed the concept of peace, both as an abstract ideal and as a guiding principle for public policy.

Hanszen College junior Stephen Bor, founder of Asian Pacific Americans for Social Change, said American society is far short of achieving King’s dream of social justice. Bor’s speech was a series of invocations to King, each one addressing the problems of racism and bigotry that exist today.

“What use is it for people to say that racism is gone when they never venture beyond [Highway] 288?” Bor asked.

Melodious Voices of Praise sang two songs, and Lovett junior Charlene Berry sang Yolanda Williams’s “The Things We Do.” In addition, Sociology Professor Holly Heard presented a chronology of the major events of King’s life and legacy, including his assassination in 1968 and the establishment of his birthday as a national holiday in 1983.

BSA President Akilah Mance, a Jones junior, concluded the event. Mance said King admonished the people of his own generation to “stay awake” as society changed.

“We must be careful to stay awake during our period of social change,” Mance said.

End of article

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