FMU’s NAACP chapter held a march from the Stokes Administration building to the housing office on Aug. 28. 

The reason for the march was to honor the 60-year anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous march on Washington where he gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. The event began with speeches from the president of the FMU NAACP chapter, the president of the Student Government Association (SGA), and the mayor of Florence. 

Keevon Fullard, senior secondary education major and president of the FMU NAACP chapter, began his speech and the march by comparing Dr. King’s message with the interpretations commonly made today. 

“It is a shame that so many individuals have turned on MLK’s ideals, then again I see the world we live in and see how certain things people couldn’t tolerate,” Fullard said.  

During his comparison of Dr. King and Malcolm X, Fullard emphasized how both sides of the civil rights argument have been generalized by the teachings of history. 

“The way historians and the world’s view on the civil rights movement has painted incomplete and biased pictures of all who fought,” Fullard said. “People think because MLK was non-violent and preached on unity between the black community and the rest of America that he was soft, leading to the idea that other activists who did not practice nonviolence were violent in nature.” 

In his speech, Devan Campbell, senior history major and president of the SGA, spoke about Dr. King’s beliefs and how they should be honored. 

“Dr. King’s dream wasn’t merely about individual prosperity, but rather it was a vision of a world where equality was the cornerstone and opportunity flowed like a river, unobstructed by the barriers of race or circumstance,” Campbell said. 

The event required months of preparation. Since it was before the training session required for any student organization to hold events on campus, the NAACP chapter had hoops to jump through, such as the NAACP being unable to place a space request, requiring the event to be scheduled another way. Regardless, they thought it was important to march on that day. 

“I was checking the calendar, and thought I want to do something in August,” Fullard said. “I want to be the first organization to really plan something. It’s something different, something we’ve never experienced… I saw what today meant, with it being the sixtieth anniversary, and I thought there was no better way to commemorate Dr. King than a march.” 

Also present at the march was the mayor of Florence, Teresa Ervin. An alum of FMU, Ervin emphasized the importance of the event and what it means to have an active community on campus dedicated to the message of civil rights. 

“It’s a way of remembering history, while taking that history and seeing what we need to do to make that dream a true vision,” Ervin said. “I think the NAACP chapter here is important because you have a group of young people who are positioned to carry the mission of the NAACP into the future to build for the next generation.” 

Both the organizers and attendees were satisfied with the outcome of the event, with Mayor Ervin encouraging more events such as this in the future. Fullard also encouraged the event’s enthusiasm and message. 

“I felt like God was telling me to do this,” Fullard said. “Even where we stopped is a brand-new area, and nobody has really experienced it yet. It just so happens to be right here, really getting finished when we got back. It’s all I could have asked for.”