U., campus groups launch seven-week King celebration

Forty-nine years ago, 21-year-old Martin Luther King Jr. walked along Locust Walk and attended classes in the Philosophy Department of Penn's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. After receiving a bachelor's degree from Atlanta's Morehouse College, King came to the University to supplement his doctoral studies at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. Before his death 19 years later, King would transform the nation's idea of civil rights, service and passive resistance. In honor of King's vision, the University's third-annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration began yesterday with a memorial service sponsored by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. University Chaplain William Gipson was the event's keynote speaker. More than 30 campus organizations are participating in the 7-week-long celebration, entitled "The Vision lives on? Recapturing the Spirit." No other University-sponsored event lasts as long or includes as many organizations as the King celebration. But then again, no other man was quite like King, Gipson said. "Dr. King was able to articulate the American dream and ideal in such a way that every member of citizenry could recognize and understand them," Gipson said. "No one quite compares to how he articulated and got people to recognize the vision." He added that Penn's strong efforts to honor King's principles are due, in part, to the University's surrounding community. "Poverty, day to day economic and social realities of the city, future hopes and aspirations of the youth -- they're all very much a part of Philadelphia today," Gipson said. "I think people see these realities and respond accordingly." The goal of the extended celebration is not to limit King's vision to a day or a week, according to the executive chairperson of the planning committee, Isabel Mapp. "King's principles are essential," said Mapp, the assistant director of African-American Resource Center. "To carry them out, we wanted to provide a forum of dialogue at Penn, fostering a situation where different groups can talk to each other." King advocated community service, the importance of dialogue among different groups, working with youth and non-violent resistance. Each event in the celebration focuses on one or several of these principles. In a January 19 event sponsored by the Penn Law School, for example, neighborhood elementary and middle school students will participate in a discussion of King's legacy and design a quilt to be donated to the local public school district. On January 23, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, the Black Student League, the Asian Pacific Student Coalition, La Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos and the United Minority Council will hold a forum exploring free speech at the Greenfield Intercultural Center. University President Judith Rodin will host a January 19 reception at Eisenlohr Hall to present the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award to four recipients. Two awards will be presented to members of the University community, with the other two going to West Philadelphia residents. Alpha Phi Alpha will hold its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Anti-Violence Vigil in conjunction with the University commemoration on January 18. College sophomore Chaz Howard said the vigil is especially resonant for the fraternity members because King became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha while he was pursuing a doctorate at the Boston University School of Theology. Howard said the vigil is designed both to honor King as a martyr and as a way of continuing his vision. "[King] stood for fairness and equality, and many of us feel that full equality and unity has not been achieved on campus," he said. "It's a reminder that there are things the University needs to change, like the small amount of minorities here." Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who chaired the academic programs committee for the commemoration's planning board, echoed Howard's feeling that King's dream remains unfulfilled. "There are important unmet goals. This celebration provides a vehicle for students and staff to think about the challenge of fulfilling King's dream," Jamieson said. "If we accomplish that, than the program will be successful. If it does not, it will have been just another nice commemorative event." Even before the seven-week celebration began, the strong student commitment to planning the events has demonstrated student interest in fulfilling King's principles, Jamieson said. According to Jamieson, all of the University's 12 graduate and four undergraduate schools are participating in the celebration in one form or another. In addition to the schools, organizations such as the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Center, Women's Center, Interfaith Council, BSL, MECHA, the Hillel Foundation and APSC are participating in the event. Howard said King's special character accounts for the wide range of groups participating in the commemoration. King was "simply an interesting man," he said. "Since many people at Penn are working toward becoming future leaders, King's method of leadership is one to emulate."

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