Hymns of praise and inspirational passages calling for remembrance echoed inside the Alice Millar Chapel on Monday evening, where nearly 200 students, faculty and community members gathered at the 31st annual Rev. Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Candlelight Vigil to commemorate the legacy of the late civil rights leader.
The service, hosted by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the MLK planning committee, was followed by a reception and included musical performances by the Alice Millar Chapel Choir, Northwestern Community Ensemble, and Soul4Real, an a capella student group. The event was the finale in a weekend-long series of lectures, discussions, film screenings, theatrical productions and volunteer events. The celebration’s theme aimed to “remember the promise (and) renew the dream.”
In his welcome address, University Provost Dan Linzer said “Northwestern students have a particular obligation … (to take) the memory forward beyond the classroom to make a difference.”
It is about “taking seriously the opportunity we have to make a difference in the world … that is consistent with the University’s mission and the legacy left by King.” Linzer said.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. selected university trustee and alumna Cheryle Jackson, WCAS ‘88, as the keynote speaker.
Jackson, the first female president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League and a former U.S. Senate candidate, previously served as communications director for the Governor of Illinois. She was the first woman and African American in the state’s history to hold that position.
Jackson spoke directly to students in her speech, citing the importance of combining “youth with moral conscience and courage” to “renew the dream (King) fought for.”
“The darkest moments require the most dramatic and transformational change,” she said. “The status quo cannot change the status quo. … Now is the time for you to be the Dr. Kings and the Prime Minister Bhuttos. I am here and ready to follow your lead.”
Jackson discussed the issue of sensitivity, saying that her choice to remain calm after a former colleague once joked about lynching in a workplace meeting was an opportunity for dialogue.
“What you do in the small moments often points to what you will do in the big moments,” she said. “I need for you to be educated … and morally guided by what’s right.”
Following Jackson’s speech, Weinberg junior Tyris Jones, Alpha Phi Alpha’s recording secretary and chaplain, led a candlelight ceremony while reading excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches.
