Students will be taking time off Monday, Jan. 21 because of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and, while they may be grateful to him for the free day of recreation, this day holds far more significance than just a break from school.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights activist who protested racial discrimination at the legislative level. MLK, Jr. is the person who gave the famous “I have a dream…” speech in August of 1963 which called for an end to racism in the United States. MLK Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. He was also the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35.
It is important to use this day to keep in mind the sacrifices and the dedication necessary to eliminate racism from our society. Stereotypes, prejudices, racial bias are all sneaky ways that casual racism can hide in our everyday lives and it’s something to be aware of.
Martin Luther King Jr. worked as a pastor and his sermons and speeches can still be found online. He worked to promote civil rights and participated in and organized numerous events to help bring attention to the injustices being done to the colored community in the 1960s.
Many of the issues that he spoke about are still relevant today and it is important to remember his efforts to change society as we proceed into the new year. Perhaps with this in mind, we can work to make each year a better and safer place for all people while still celebrating and loving our differences.
This year, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion is hosting the 30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Banquet on Jan. 21. At the banquet, a motivational speaker named Donzell Dixson will be the keynote speaker.
Donzell Dixson is a speaker who uses public speaking to educate, motivate and guide young people to help them find their inner passions and to achieve their goals. He makes his speeches personal with his own history of behavioral issues as a child and inspires people by telling them how he overcame his own obstacles.
Dixson Dynamics is a company that was founded by Donzell Dixson which aims to help educate, motivate and guide people toward their goals. Dixson has spoken before at Michigan Tech in 2015 at the MICUP Banquet, and he is an MTU graduate from the class of 2014. He is guaranteed to deliver an inspiring speech at this year’s MLK Banquet.
His story of overcoming the obstacles that stood in the way of his path to success will make a riveting and relevant addition to this day of memorializing MLK’s hopes for change.
The Banquet will be held in the MUB Ballroom on Jan. 21 at 5:30 p.m. The event is free, but attendees need to register to attend. The link to register is https://goo.gl/forms/8lWd1RU1mZzoo4h02.
