USC Celebrates Dr. King
By: Ellice Ellis ‘20
This past Monday the USC Black Staff and Faculty Caucus honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with its 36th annual Dr.King Celebration at Tommy’s Place. I attended the event which featured performances by USC Students; Celeste Butler, Elshaddai Mulugeta, M.C Omete Anassi, and a powerful lecture from guest speaker and actor Gerald C. Rivers. These performers praised Dr. King calling him a timeless prophet and a true visionary; along with sharing their talents with USC students, faculty, staff, and guests of the university.
When the celebration started I was happy to hear the students and faculty singing the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson; a song that for is not often performed at many events around campus. The event went on to be the pinnacle of black excellence not only showcasing student talent but acknowledging the words and important messages that Dr. King had to share.
USC Student M.C Omete Anassi delivered one of the most powerful messages of the afternoon with his spoken word entitled “Is The Black American Free?” He discussed the slow progression of black-Americans freedom in our country; touching on Trayvon Martin, mental health issues in the black community, and education disparities.
“You should be happy that you still aren’t picking cotton,” Anassi tells the crowd. He recites these words with a message all too familiar to black Americans, meaning they should be content with any and all signs of progress. His spoken word piece reminded me that even years after Dr.King pushed for equality there are still strides to be made in America for people of all races.
Growing up Dr.King had been one of the historical figures I had not only learned about frequently but whom I had the utmost respect for. Despite the repeated story and lessons of his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech I heard as a kid, the words shared by keynote speaker Gerald C. Rivers opened my eyes to King’s prophetic nature.
“MLK’s life ended when he said war and poverty do not have to exist,” were the words Rivers told the crowd that resonated with me. He went to to explain that Dr.King’s popularity faded drastically after he spoke out against the Vietnam War and income inequality in the U.S. I then realized that King’s worldview is timeless, seeing that poverty and global conflict are issues plaguing our nation at this moment.
Rivers who is a native of South LA was inspired by King’s words at a young age. He told the crowd that as a teenager playing Dr. King changed his life. Not only was the tale of his upbringing inspiring but the ways in which Dr.King had influenced him moved me.
The event also included a rendition Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” which prompted a crowd sing-a-long. Although the turn-out was small in numbers, I applaud the USC Black Staff and Faculty Caucus for honoring a man who is the peak of American excellence and giving students a platform to display their talents to celebrate a shared personal hero.
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