Anderson University devoted a week to honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his vision of unity and justice January 20-24. Anderson University students, faculty and staff celebrated Dr. King’s dream during MLK Celebration Week, taking place on the campus and service opportunities in the surrounding community.
A worship service honoring Dr. King on his birthday took place in the Henderson Auditorium of the Rainey Fine Arts Center. The keynote speaker was Dr. Matt Daniels, Distinguished University Professor of Law, Political Science, and Human Rights at Anderson University. Dr. Daniels founded Good of All, an international public education initiative dedicated to promoting universal human rights in the digital age.
Dr. Daniels said, “We should look at the times in which we live and see them as an opportunity for the Kingdom we have in Dr. King’s work—gospel principles that are the antidote to the forces of division and conflict and hatred and racism. If we raise up a new generation who can shine a light for those principles, we can help to heal a divided nation, so let’s work together here at AU to start to institutionalize that vision so that it can continue after we’re gone.”
The AU Gospel Choir led musical worship during the service.
That afternoon, teams of student, faculty and staff volunteers went into the community assisting AIM (Anderson Interfaith Ministries), Calvary Home for Children, Anderson Pregnancy Care and Linley-Park Acute Nursing Home.
The week’s activities also included a movie night at the G. Ross Anderson Jr. Student Center Theater featuring the film “Selma” and discussion exploring the socio-historical and spiritual dynamics of the Selma to Montgomery marches which secured voting rights for Black Americans. There was also an MLK Trivia Night at the Student Center, and at the end of the week students traveled to the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
On Friday, Jonathan Scott, teaching and church care pastor at Forest Hill Church in Charlotte, N.C., led a chapel service hosted by the Journey Program and Campus Ministries.
The events honoring Dr. King were presented by the Journey Program and Campus Ministries, in collaboration with the Anderson University Office of Diversity, Community and Inclusion.