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Iyanla Vanzant, author of multiple The New York Times Best Selling books speaks at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Campus Commemoration in the McKimmon Center Monday Jan 14, 2013. Vanzant encouraged attendees to "take the first step" saying that "You cannot continue to live your own dysfunctional history over and over, hypnotizing yourself into inactivity." Photo by Chris Rupert.
Author and lecturer Iyanla Vanzant spoke about how to evolve one’s life at the campus commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. at the McKimmon Center Monday Jan. 14.
Warwick Arden, provost and executive vice chancellor, Sheila Smith McKoy, director of African American Cultural Center, Sandra Dubose, singer, and Joanne Woodard, vice provost for institutional equity and diversity, welcomed Vanzant and noted the importance King had on his or her own life.
The event was created as a celebration leading up to the memorial of King, with the N.C. State community and a community as a whole and reflecting upon his life, according to Arden.
Community was mentioned early on by Vanzant as she recalled the connection the North had with the South when African-Americans were hosed down and attacked with dogs.
“We need to create a bigger community,” Vanzant said.
One of the ideas stressed by Vanzant with the beginning of the New Year was “you can get with this or you can get with that.” She relied on her experiences and King’s speeches.
“’Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step,’” Vanzant said, quoting King.
Vanzant also used “the great philosopher Jermaine Jackson” to stress the audience to make needed change with his song, “Let’s Get Serious.”
Early in her address she had the men in the audience stand up and encouraged them to keep pursuing in the current economic time. She also concluded her speech with the same idea, a quote from King:
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,” King said in his last speech in 1968.
McKoy started off the night by mentioning the accomplishment of African Americans with the second inauguration of Barack Obama, which is on the Martin Luther King holiday.
Woodard introduced Vanzant and spoke of her past, which was filled of misfortune, like the death of her mother when she was three and how she was raped at nine, followed by her accomplishments.
“Many ordinary people cannot tell tales of tragedy, struggle, strength, courage and triumph in the same way Iyanla Vanzant can, “ Woodard said. “Much of what she has seen, heard and lived through would have devastated an ordinary person.”
Arden, who was raised in Australia, spoke about his views of King as well.
“You are probably thinking that my knowledge of Martin Luther King began when I came to work in an American university, but in reality I learned about Martin Luther King when I was a child,” Arden said, “I tell you that because it is important that you know that King not only changed this country, but he changed the world.”
The event concluded with a question and answer session. A long time fan, Moses T. Alexander Greene, who met Arden 15 years ago, asked her for advice about achieving his dream and gave her two books he wrote.
Arden also expressed to the audience that the ideals of King are still important today.
“One of the key things we are trying to continually reinforce, we want everybody to live, work, play, learn on this campus to feel valued, to feel supported, to feel empowered in the way they achieve their goals everyday,” Arden said.
Arden mentioned the vandalism of the GLBT center in 2011, a community that has also received prejudice.
McKoy ended the night with a speech, happy to feature Vanzant and commemorate the life and death of King.