Photo by Jocelyn McMahon for the Quill
By Victoria Durgin, Co-editor-in-chief
Susquehanna honored and examined the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the week of January 21 with multiple events.
The week opened with an interfaith service led by university chaplain Scott Kershner.
“I thought [the service] was a really important way of engaging King’s legacy because his movement and his vision was so deeply shaped by collaboration with people from diverse religious and unreligious backgrounds,” Kershner said.
According to Kershner, King’s teachings and legacy are important given the current social and political climate in the country and the world.
“I think there is a heightened need for this because of rising levels of scapegoating immigrants and minority people of various stripes,” Kershner said.
“We need to come to higher ground together where we discover our unity and really embrace the deeper energy we have,” he added.
This sentiment was echoed by Harvey Edwards, a teacher-in-residence at Susquehanna.
“I think one that’s one of the things that is lacking in so many people is the curiosity of trying to discover new things and meet new people,” Edwards said.
On Tuesday night Susquehanna officially kicked off the new semester at winter convocation. The event was headlined by speaker Bryan Terrell Clark.
Clark has performed in the Broadway musical “Hamilton” in the role of George Washington and founded the philanthropy “inDEFINED,” which raises money for various other groups.
Clark spoke about the importance of positivity while explaining how remaining positive helped him stay in school at a time when he didn’t enjoy it.
The celebration of King’s legacy continued throughout the week.
Edwards was one of several faculty and staff members who lectured during the university’s teach-in on Wednesday, January 22.
The schedule included seminars on assisted reproduction in the context of the eugenics movement, environmental justice and women of color in the sciences among other topics.
Edwards’ presentation was titled “American Creed and the American Dream.”
According to Edwards, the lecture was designed to explore where the American dream falls short of being fully realized.
“What I want to do is just show the connection between the promises of America and the reality, which is I think exactly what Dr. King was aiming for when he talked about having a dream,” Edwards said.
On Thursday, January 23, alumnus Darrell Willis of the class of 1974 performed a dramatic reading of “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” in Mellon Lounge.
The reading was King’s final speech before his assassination in 1968.
In addition to the teach-in, Edwards and Dan Olivetti, director of the Lore Degenstein Gallery, also co-curated the new exhibit “Sons, Seeing the Modern African American Male,” which opened in the Lore Degenstein Gallery on Saturday.
The gallery features portraits taken by nationally-recognized artist Jerry Taliaferro. According to the gallery description provided on the Susquehanna website, the portraits “explore how African-American men perceive themselves and are perceived by others.”
All the subjects are either Susquehanna students or residents of the Susquehanna River Valley.
“This is really a humble endeavor,” Olivetti said about the exhibit.
He said he hopes the exhibit encourages conversation about perceptions and stereotypes.
“I think it’s a timely exhibit especially with the social and political climate of our country,” Edwards said.
