Newberry College Celebrates the Life and Work of Martin Luther King, Jr

Nearly 50 years after the death Martin Luther King, Jr., his words remain relevant and continue to ring true. King encouraged people to resist complacency, set aside their fears and speak out against injustice. Newberry College sought to honor those values during a week of events celebrating the life and legacy of one of most iconic figures of the Civil Rights Movement.

Newberry College honored the man and his contributions with a week of events beginning with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, on Monday, Jan. 18. Students volunteered through the Muller Center at Newberry College to support “A Day On, Not a Day Off,” a community-based march and service. More than 500 community members gathered at Bethlehem Baptist Church and marched to Miller Chapel AME Church for a special service. Newberry College students helped by collecting donations and serving food to participants.

“I attended the march and the Day of Service event to honor Dr. King’s legacy and courage," said Newberry College junior Terrence Salley, who volunteered at the event. “He paved the way for me and so many other young men and women to be in the positions we’re in today."

On Monday evening, more than 100 Newberry College students, faculty and staff attended a tribute vigil in Wiles Chapel. Angelo Geter, former director for Student Engagement, was the featured speaker at the event. His speech, “Deposit Some Change,” encouraged the audience to take action to achieve the change they desire. “If each person does their part,” Geter said, “our world will be a better place.”

King was the focus of the campus Chapel service on Wednesday, Jan. 20, with professor of Sport Professions Dr. John Lesaine delivering the sermon. His talk, titled “When God is on Your Side,” centered on the story of Nehemiah and his dream of rebuilding his home city. Because God was on his side, Nehemiah was able to complete his task. Likewise, Lesaine noted, King had a dream that he saw realized because God was also on his side.

“Dr. King's life was his testimony,” Lesaine said. “We want to celebrate that testimony and continue to make his dream a reality through fellowship with our campus community.”

A theatrical presentation marked the culmination of the week's events with "Speaking the Dream: Dramatic Presentations from the Life of Dr. King,” staged by members of the campus community. More than 150 students, faculty and staff attended the performances depicting three pivotal moments in King's evolution as a leader, the obstacles he faced and the changing strategies of the civil rights movement.

Newberry College students and faculty worked together to produce and perform the one-hour production written by retired Sociology professor Dr. Joseph McDonald.

“This production gave us an opportunity to commemorate the life of Dr. King and to remind our community how this courageous man of action also used his words to inspire an entire nation," said professor of Sport Professions Dr. Peggy Winder, one of the producers of the performance.

Sophomore Pre-Nursing student Mykell Sims, who got involved in the production through her Political Science class, portrayed a protester in the performance.

“Participating in the play meant a lot to me because if it wasn’t for Dr. King, I wouldn’t be here at this college," she said. “There are still a lot of things that need to change, but the play shows how much has changed.”

Junior Communications major Gerald Evans portrayed King during his speech at the rally in 1965 on the steps of the capital in Birmingham, Ala. Evans worked hard at memorizing and internalizing the lines of the speech so he could interact in a more personal way with the audience, and watched numerous clips of King’s speeches to prepare for the role.

“Dr. King was personal when he spoke – even to large audiences – and gave everything in his speeches,” Evans said. “I wanted to do the same thing.”

The event was produced by the Office of Diversity, the Office of Marketing, the Department of Theatre Department and The Muller Center at Newberry College.