Jose Orozco
The Paw Print
Several campus events have taken place in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. One in particular was a lunchtime lecture was given by Dr. Edward Crowther of the history, government and philosophy department.
For those that do not know Dr. Crowther, he is a very tall, big football player build, white guy with long hair and a deep booming voice. He is said to have a very disruptive voice. His speech was very enlightening and gave a great history of MLK the Southern Baptist preacher and political figure. He spoke of how King was a radical and was seen as such by some of his peers. Though there were several figures with similar goals in mind, the execution of those goals was the cause of much controversy.
Eventually, MLK was considered the fulcrum of civil rights and its martyr. People were moved by his speeches, and it was that which started his journey at age 25 in civil rights. His way of motivating people gave him a label of “controversial.” Dr. Crowther made note that “King is ‘controversial’ as much in life as in death.” The MLK memorial in Washington D.C. had much debate over its image and designer. The controversy was speculated around having an Asian sculptor design the piece. Could not an African sculptor of the same reputation do the job? The sculpture, when completed, was negotiated in favor of changing the appearance though only minor adjustments were made. Another contention around MLK is the national holiday in his honor, although I’m not sure how many are opposed to receiving a free vacation day. What made MLK suspect was not his vision but his approach at rapid change.
For the most part MLK and J.H. Jackson another minister from Chicago, had the same mission but a drastically different approach. Even Jackson was suggestive that there be a less dubious approach and that time was a key factor and to have patience. Jackson was stated to have said that he did not want King to attend the conference in Birmingham because he only caused riots everywhere he went. MLK pushed people’s buttons in his day; yet now he is almost venerated and seen mostly as good.
One quote that was used in the presentation was “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Such a pivotal statement! A statement provided by a bold man that has been in the limelight long after his death. With such a powerful voice as Dr. Crowther has, the audience was left to ruminate about the question, “When is moderation in pursuit of justice not a virtue?” This left the audience available to respond. One individual mentioned the possibility of the Occupy Movement being a similar case. It was another individual who suggested to question the possibility of where the world would be had MLK not been assassinated.
The ASC Faculty lunchtime talks are hosted by Dr. Matt Nehring. There is usually pizza provided and a great entertainment given at no charge. If you would like a schedule of the upcoming lunch time talks, you can email Dr. Nehring at mshehrin@adams.edu. If you have any questions regarding diversity and equality, you can talk with Isabel Medina-Keiser in the Equal Opportunities Office located on the first floor of the library or emailed at isabelmedinakeiser@adams.edu.
What’s Been Said…