“This is part of the MLK tradition at MSU to bring people together. It’s about inclusion and community,” community dinner coordinator Venice Smith said.

President Simon spoke about Ernest Green, an MSU alumnus who was the first African-American student to graduate from his high school. Green also was a member of the Little Rock Nine.

She said he became successful despite his civil rights struggle because he was able to look past his upbringing and look forward into his future at MSU.

“Never forget that part of being a Spartan is being a game-changer,” Simon said.

Students, faculty and professors in attendance discussed the steps that Martin Luther King, Jr. took in terms of civil rights as well as social justice.

“There are so many things that (MLK) was able to rectify, but there is a recognition that today we still deal with issues like poverty, health inequities and educational inequities so we still have work ahead of us,” said Paulette Granberry Russell, director of MSU’s Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives.

In a broader sense, Smith said Martin Luther King, Jr. was the catalyst behind a still-ongoing movement.

Materials science and engineering freshman Alex Peterson said holding the program alongside a meal brought a sense of shared purpose among its attendees.

“All historic and commemorative events are surrounded by food because it’s something that we can all share,” Peterson said.