FMU held its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Jan. 16 in Chapman Auditorium in the McNair Science Building to honor the legacy and provisions King has made.
The celebration consisted of multiple talents from pianists and FMU Got Talent winners Heaven Nelson and Latecia Barnes and a musical selection from the award-winning Young Gifted and Blessed Gospel Choir. The Florence city Mayor, Lethonia Barnes, served as a keynote speaker to honor King and give wise words of encouragement to the community.
“Are we building bridges or are we building walls,” Barnes said. “Dr. King stood for quality, dignity, and justice for all.”
Barnes’s speech inspired the audience as she spoke about the past and the future. Giving the closing remark, she left the audience to imagine a time when King’s dream was no longer a dream but a reality.
“King’s dream is still alive and changing,” Barnes said.
The National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) was allowed to serve as ushers and host the event as they handed out programs and guided guests on where to sit. Noelle Anderson, senior healthcare admin major and president of the NPHC, presided over the event as she served as the primary host.
“Being that Francis Marion is a PWI, NPHC serves as a purpose to help highlight what Kings’s dream was,” Anderson said. “Diversity and inclusion show people of the community what triumph was back then and how we can continue his legacy today.”
Xavian Addison and Jaelin Minnick, two members of the NPHC and members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. conceded the prayer and historical information on King, as he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Having speakers from his historical fraternity shows how his provisions and legacy will not be forgotten in the African American community.