Colorblindness.
That’s what Martin Luther King Jr. wanted from the American people, Dwight Hopkins, Wednesday’s commemoration speaker, said after his talk.
But, Hopkins said, King didn’t want people to be blind to the accomplishments of people of color.
Hopkins, a professor of theology at the University of Chicago Divinity School, was born in a segregated hospital in Richmond, Va. Now, as he visits the South, he said he sees great progress toward King’s dream.
And the existence of the African American Cultural Center on campus, Hopkins said, is a sign of this progress King fought for.
So, as King’s holiday approaches and the Cultural Center holds programs to commemorate him, what should be remembered about his life and mission?
According to Hopkins, there are several things to revere — and they don’t include consumerism.
“There is a drift toward people seeing the holiday as a holiday,” he said.
As a result, Hopkins said, some use the holiday to shop and forget about the historical meaning of the day. Instead, he said, young people of all races should conduct “ethnographic interviews” with parents and grandparents to “get the whole story” and reflect on the past.
Also, they should attempt to live out King’s dreams.
“Dr. King [said] America would be America when we see the humanity of ourselves, and the humanity of others,” he said.
This involves going deeper than donating food and money to causes, Hopkins said, and truly experiencing the pain of human beings who are suffering.
Toni Thorpe, program coordinator for the African American Cultural Center, saw a similar meaning in the holiday.
“It’s an opportune time to renew our passion for the quality of life of all people,” she said.
And programs like Wednesday’s talk and memorial march from the Bell Tower to Witherspoon Student Center are forums to provide for that renewal, as well as reflection, she said.
The programs are not new to the campus, according to Thorpe. In fact, the University began celebrating the holiday before the city of Raleigh did. The celebrations are meant for people of all races, she said.
This programming for the holiday is essential both for commemorating the day and raising awareness, said Keith Powell, interim associate director of the Cultural Center.
“Because our campus is so diverse, some segments are aware [of the history of the holiday], some are not, and some see it as history,” he said.
According to Amber Carr, president of the African American Heritage Society — the student component of the Cultural Center — said she grew up learning about King’s life, and knows a lot of students who shared similar experiences.
“I see a lot of people who understand and appreciate it,” Carr, a junior in applied sociology, said.
But Powell said the programs are opportunities to promote King to those who are not familiar with his work. And although a diverse group of students would benefit from these programs, the transition to a racially diverse attendance is slow, according to Powell.
While Thorpe said the audience at Wednesday’s noon talk was racially diverse Powell said peoples’ perception of the “African American” part of the center’s title might be what deters them — even when the programs are not about African-American issues in particular.
“I’m amazed when people [who are not African-American] ask me ‘Can I come to a program?'” Thorpe said.
Thorpe said the Cultural Center is just part of the tapestry that makes up N.C. State, and each part is important. The King Holiday, she said, is a good time for the University community — people of all races and ethnicities — to connect again.
