Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. led the March for Justice Jan. 19, 2015, from the MSU Union to Beaumont Tower. "Ain't gonna let segregation turn me around, turn me around, turn me around," chanted the marchers. "Ain't gonna let segregation turn me around, I'm gonna keep on walking, keep on talking, marching onto freedom land." Kelsey Feldpausch/ The State News.
For many members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council at MSU, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is more than just a day of remembrance but a day of celebrating a fellow brother.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council, or NPHC, is a collaborative organization made up of the nine historically African American fraternities and sororities, commonly referred to as the Divine Nine. King was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.
"What MLK day means to me is a day to commemorate a visionary, leader, and brother and to recognize everything that he has fought peacefully for, for the betterment of all people," Ahmad Hassan, senior Food Industry Management student and Alpha Phi Alpha member, said.
To celebrate the occasion, those in the Divine Nine plan participate and hold events during the day.
"We participate in most of the MLK activities that the universities hosts, our President and VP give speeches every year in Martin Luther King's honor, we host or partake in workshops hosted on MLK day in the Union, and we lead the annual MLK march to the Beaumont Tower," Hassan said.
Laura Collier, Delta Sigma Theta president and arts and humanities senior, said she also plans on participating in the day's events with members of her sorority.
"I find it important to be involved in holidays such as these that bring attention to issues of social justice," Collier said.
She said members of the NPHC organizations would remiss if they did not participate in the day's activities in 2016.
"This holiday is a time to pay tribute to everyone who marched and fought for equal rights so that our organization may still exist in today's day and age," Collier said.
Ken Green, Phi Beta Sigma member and human biology senior, said the celebration and remembrance seen on Martin Luther King Jr. Day can be seen from members of the Divine Nine any day of the year.
"Our motto is 'culture for service, service for humanity', and Martin Luther King, he did everything he could to better humanity in general," Green said.
For Hassan, a member of King's own fraternity, he feels a special connection especially on MLK Day.
"To everyone, Martin Luther King, Jr. may be considered a hero, a world leader, a visionary, but behind all of those great and wonderful titles, he is our brother," Hassan.
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