On Jan. 20th, the Boise State MLK Living Legacy Committee led its annual MLK March and Rally. As a means of ushering in the pending Spring 2014 semester, the Living Legacy Committee provided an opportunity for students to take part in the march in order to remember civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and what his legacy meant for the United States.
All Boise State students were invited to participate in the march, which began with a poster making session in the Jordan Ballroom on Monday morning.
They then set out from campus to march on the Capitol. Braving cool winter Idaho weather, students of varying fields of study took part in this event as a way of being part of a movement that uniquely impacted them in their own individual lives.
Students expressed what the civil rights movement meant to them even though it took place over 60 years ago. Emmanuel Eze, junior accounting major, spoke on what he thought of the purpose of the rally at Boise State.
“In bringing this to Boise State is a very big deal because being an institution that involves a lot of people from different countries, cities and states,” Eze said. “It’s truly going to help show the fight that Martin Luther King Jr. fought for racial equality and to show that people have the right to be who they are.”
With police barricades providing a path down Captiol Blvd., the Boise community had a chance to witness what the young and aspiring of Boise State were up too. In a sea of signs that varied from the extravagant to the simple, along with hot beverages in hand, Boise State students marched proudly before their community.
Danielle Naomi Johnson, graduate student, described what it meant to be part of this annual event. She spoke of the importance of numbers and attendance in promoting the Martin Luther King Jr. legacy at Boise State. She went into depth regarding this legacy and why it is still relevant in modern times as well as Idaho.
“I think in Idaho particularly we need a little extra help, we are a little bit behind in the times. I mean look around,” Johnson said. “We can use as much inspiration as possible.”
With the Spring 2014 semester looming, the MLK March and Rally represents a time of transition and remembrance for students to take to heart the legacy of MLK before they
resume reinvigorated quests towards acquiring knowledge. The Boise State Living Legacy Committee brought the chance to experience what it meant to be part of a legacy that has stood the test of time.