Student-organized conference highlights issues of diversity

Martin Luther King Jr. catapulted himself into history books forever in 1963 by standing up for equality and justice in his “I Have a Dream” speech. On Monday, his memory will be celebrated across the nation, and MSU is no exception.

The Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives is hosting its annual celebration in honor of the groundbreaking leader. The weekend-long festivities include music, religious worship, remembrance and discussion about what King stood for and how it impacts the present.

For the fifth year, the office is holding a leadership conference at which students, staff and faculty will discuss issues such as diversity and social justice. Participants will have a chance to voice their opinions about the progress that civil rights leaders have made since King’s time.

“Civil rights is still an issue in America,” said Robert Easterly, of the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives. “During the civil rights movement the type of leadership that came from students really impacted what was going on.”

The conference is organized and led by a group of students that work with the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, which hosts a forum of topics from a diverse group of people.

Paulette Granberry Russell, director of the office, said the idea for the conference was formed about five years ago by students who wanted a discussion about civil rights and social justice.

“This came out of the students … who said they’d like a venue for students to have a dialogue with each other about their ideas,” she said.

Coordinator Lakeya Omogun, an elementary education senior, has been involved with the conference for three years. Along with taking away new ideas, she said she has also learned valuable lessons from working on the project.

“It teaches you about perseverance through challenges,” Omogun said.

Many students leave with a better sense of leadership about what they can do in their community, she said.

“It isn’t about just talking, it’s about action,” Omogun said. “People have gone out and actually become leaders using the stuff that they have learned.”