By Tanner Anderson, Page Editor
Some generations of Americans have seen blatant hatred, violence and social unrest acted upon others for no reason other than skin color. But while the present may not be perfect, members of the ACU community did their part to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by participating in various service projects and events throughout Abilene on Monday.
After 20 minutes of waiting, a group of eight circled in prayer on the steps of Sewell Theatre Monday evening to show their respect for the Civil Rights leader Monday evening.
Kellian Hale lived in the inner city of St. Louis for 10 years with her husband to pursue mission work before moving to Abilene. Monday, she brought her two sons Rory, 10, and Karrick, 7, to the steps of Sewell Theatre to commemorate the holiday.
“We saw a lot in St. Louis for those 10 years. It’s huge in my heart, and we appreciate Martin Luther King Jr. so much,” Hale said.
Abilenian Gary Collins read about the devotional at Sewell in the newspaper and wanted to attend.
“It’s important to remember and commemorate this event and share the influence that it has had,” Collins said.
More than 40 students who also wanted to spend the holiday by sharing, gathered inside the Campus Center and walked through neighborhoods surrounding ACU to collect food for the Abilene Food Bank Monday morning.
The Service Action Leadership Team organized the service project, and by the end of the day, the group of volunteers collected 614 pounds of food in two hours.
“We went around the neighborhood and explained we were collecting cans for MLK day, and mostly everyone donated one or two cans,” said SALT officer Terri Crites, senior math education major from Irving.
Dr. Jerry Taylor, assistant professor of Bible, delivered his thoughts on the dreams of Martin Luther King to more than 400 people during his keynote address at the Abilene Black Chamber of Commerce’s 18th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner at the Abilene Civic Center.
Taylor’s speech focused on Martin Luther King’s dreams and the current economic situation of the nation.
“The point I was trying to make is that when there’s harsh economic times, it becomes a challenge for the people to remain united,” Taylor said. “I think in order for Americans to get through the present economic crisis that we face, we need to be committed to remain as one nation.”
Taylor remembers the second grade, when his school district began to integrate both black and white children, using the bus to transport the children to school.
“When bussing started, there were riots, fights, and by the time I got to high school, things had just started to cool off, but there was still anger and the aroma of social unrest in the air,” he said.
Taylor said at 13 years-old he first saw a documentary about the Civil Rights Movement.
“It created in me a desire to never return to the days of racial anxiety and confrontation,” he said.
Of all of King’s eloquent quotes, Taylor’s favorite is simple: “It’s not how long you live, but how well you live; I just want to do God’s work.”
