Peace march honors leader

By Kurt Esposito
Assistant Campus Editor

Marchers withstood the cold weather Monday night to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrate his birthday during a peace march hosted by the Black Student Union.

Approximately 40 people participated in the march which was a precursor to the King Musical Celebration: "True Freedom" program that was held in Loeb Playhouse.

Maureen Duncan, president of the Black Student Union, said, "I think it went well. We came together, we sang a few songs, we reflected on what (King's) dream was all about."

Prior to the march, the participants gathered in a circle in the lobby of the Black Cultural Center at 6:15 p.m., where Duncan gave a brief speech and people were given the opportunity to offer their reflections on King has meant to their lives.

"Dr. Martin Luther King was a key factor in bringing equality to the forefront during the Civil Rights Movement," said Jennifer Lyles, a sophomore in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. "A lot of people looked up to him when they didn't have a lot of hope."

The march started at 6:30 p.m. at the BCC; from there the marchers went south on Russell St. and turned East on to State St. They then headed east until they reached the lobby of the Stewart Center at 6:40 p.m.

The participants walked with lit candles and even though they had trouble keeping the candles lit due to the wind, the marchers pressed on, continually lighting their candles as they walked.

They also sang an assortment of songs such as "We Shall Overcome," "Amazing Grace" and "Precious Lord," King's favorite song.

Afterwards, Duncan thanked everybody for participating in the event. The marchers then watched the King Musical Celebration.

"I think that it was pretty good. We had a lot of different races so that made it nice too," said Antoine McDuffie, a freshman in the School of Management.

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Campus editor: Laura Pelner

Assistant campus editors: Kurt Esposito, Dave Stephens

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