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|"Martin Luther King Remembrance"
Published in The Shorthorn on January 18, 2005
By James D. Spaniolo
For many, Martin Luther King Jr. is a one-dimensional figure, a character in a history book, a name rather than a man. For too many, yesterday's holiday meant little more than one more holiday before classes begin.
This is sad, and it's unfortunate.
As a student at Michigan State University 40 years ago next month, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. King deliver a speech just a week after he was arrested in Selma, Ala.
The speech was Feb. 11, 1965, a Thursday, and more than 4,000 students, faculty, staff, and East Lansing residents filled our Auditorium Building. The crowd overflowed into nearby Fairchild Theater, where Dr. King's remarks were simulcast.
I still remember some of Dr. King's message that day. I was inspired by his words, his courage, and his vision for a better life for all Americans. The man I saw speak was dynamic, impassioned, and inspiring; hardly the icon he's become today. He was a zealous advocate for justice, equality, and human dignity.
Dr. King's own success threatens his legacy. Because Americans of all races enjoy more personal liberties now than 40 years ago-in part because of Dr. King-we forget how we got here. We're content, complacent and almost ignore calls for change.
But the values he invoked and the causes for which he gave his life continue to resonate in 21st century America.
The day I heard Dr. King speak, the landmark U.S. Civil Rights Act was just six months old. Civil rights marches were still common throughout the South. Within a month of that afternoon, Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot by Marion, Ala., police; voting rights marchers were beaten at Edmund Pettus Bridge; The Rev. James Reeb was beaten to death by white racists; and the Selma-to-Montgomery march would conclude in the death of Viola Gregg Liuzzo. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 would pass in great part because of Dr. King's courage and perseverance.
I believe Dr. King's words are still and will continue to be important in our lives. His message of acceptance and respect for the dignity and humanity of all people, regardless of our color, creed, or national origin, is crucial in a post-9/11 world. It offers hope and promise to those without a voice. It cultivates patience and virtue among citizens of a global community.
It's particularly relevant on this campus, too. Ours is a university of great diversity, including students from every continent-a diversity that makes UTA a gateway of opportunity for our 25,000 students. Differences are to be embraced, not disparaged or belittled.
This weekend, I was honored to participate in two community celebrations of Dr. King's life. In a small way, they were my tributes to a man who forever changed America and whose life was a powerful influence on mine.
Dr. King's message never changes, even though the world around it has and will. It applies to all of us. And that's something that shouldn't be lost to history.
James D. Spaniolo is the university's president.
