As an enthusiastic participant in the fight for equality and unity, I marched in Monday’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration with excitement.

I hoped to leave with a stronger inspiration taken from King’s passion for helping the poor and guaranteeing equal opportunities for all people.

Julianne Malveaux did an outstanding job, and spoke to the economic injustices in the nation and worldwide, lack of appropriate public policy, and the true meaning of King’s legacy. What I did not find inspiring or appropriate, however, was how some reacted when a man walked onto the stage at the end of the program, after being moved by Malveaux’s speech.

He spoke with incredible emotion and bravery when he did an improvisational plea for them to donate to the Detroit Rescue Mission as they left the event.

He asked people simply to stop clapping and instead take immediate action to make a difference, as Malveaux emphasized.

Amondo Redmond, the master of ceremonies who had just received an award for his contributions to the MLK program and to campus, not only turned the microphone away from the man, but then laughed at him during his closing remarks.

If King’s message was portrayed in Malveaux’s speech about helping the poor and taking action, a portion of it was taken back in Redmond’s reaction to the man’s efforts to help.

Valerie Rust
humanities and pre-law senior