Zoe Covey
Features Editor
Waverly Hart
Managing Editor
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated by the College this past Monday with a “day on” instead of the traditional “day off” given by most schools. The day included a keynote address, justice dialogues and service projects throughout the day. This year’s keynote speaker was Darnell Moore, writer-in-residence at Columbia University’s Center on African-American Religion, Sexuality and Social Justice.
Moore spoke about Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy both in the current political climate and in his personal life. He expressed the need “to tell the truth in a time when lies are preferred,” and went on to repeat one of the two key phrases of his address: “Symbolic representation of equality ain’t the same as committing to equity as a practice.” He encouraged those in the audience to make a real and lasting commitment to ending systemic and social prejudices against people of color, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, women and other oppressed groups. The real change, he said, will come from a daily commitment to being better, not from performative expressions of opposition to inequality.
This led him to his second point: “Our black mommas, or the scapegoat [are] never really the problem.” He spoke on the stereotype of the welfare queen, and how it has seeped into the general perception of the poor, especially poor black women. He reflected on the hardships his own mother endured. “My black momma, Reagan’s imagined welfare queen, her black sisters and brothers, her black poppa, they were never the problem,” Moore said. He encouraged his audience to pay attention to those who are made scapegoats, saying that they are “invented distractions.”
Moore ended by asking the question, “How will you respond to our individual and collective need to be honest?” Inequality will not solve itself. “If you are looking for a savior you are looking at your own reflection. You are sitting next to them,” he said. If his audience truly wanted prejudice to end, Moore dared them to start that very day.
In addition to the keynote speaker, the College hosted over 15 justice dialogues presented by individuals, groups and departments. The justice dialogues focused on issues related to civil rights, social justice, activism and engagement.
This year, the dialogues included talks on the purpose of volunteering, living wages at The College of Wooster, the debate over affirmative action and personal experiences of migrant communities in America, as well as many other topics.
Teagan Robinson ’19 hosted a justice dialogue titled “Veganism as Social Justice,” which covered how veganism is a movement working against sexism, racism and classism.
“I chose to host a justice dialogue because my I.S. is about activism and advocacy, and it didn’t feel like enough to only present my topic through an academic lens,” Robinson said. “I feel like the practice of advocacy in the real world is equally, if not more, important than reading stuffy old philosophers who didn’t even know what a pineapple was.”
Henry Mai ’20 chose to host his dialogue, Affirmative Action and the Model Minority Myth, for a similar reason. “Hosting a justice dialogue is an incredibly unique experience because it allows you to apply skills you learn at the College to a topic not chosen and guided by a professor,” Mai said. “Events like these allow us to challenge ourselves, grow as people and expand our horizons.”
Sharah Hutson ’20 ended their dialogue (Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times) with a quote from Assata Shakur: “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
The College also offers a host of service opportunities for students who want to get involved on their day off. Students volunteered for organizations such as the American Red Cross, People to People Ministries and the Wooster Community Hospital. Carina Arnosti ’21 stayed on campus and made tutus for the women’s empowerment 5k hosted by Girls on the Run. “I thought it was important to bring all kinds of people from the college together to help support an organization that helps build confidence in young women and giving them the opportunity to participate in an athletic community led by older women they can look up to,” Arnosti said.
Maha Rashid ’19 also worked with Girls on the Run. “Service allows you to interact with organizations and individuals that you normally don’t interact with,” Rashid said. “This allows you to gain perspective and shift your worldview to issues you didn’t perceive were pressing, therefore allowing you to be a more effective global citizen.”
(Photo by Marco Roccato)