“This is exactly the thing
Dr. King would have want
ed: youth carrying on the
torch of freedom for the
future.”
Moira Ferguson, chair
woman of the Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Celebration at
the Lied Center for
Performing Arts.
■
“On April 4,1968, a man
was killed and a new idea
was born.”
Ken Tucker, recruitment
retention specialist for multi
cultural students, Southeast
Community College.
“As an ethnic student, I
think it would be great to go
to a university that has eth
nically sensitive students,
faculty and administration.”
University of Nebraska
Lincoln senior Tagi Adams
m
America and palled it kick
ing and screaming into the
20th century.”
Lela Shanks, a keynote
speaker at the University
Convocation and speaker for
the Nebraska Humanities
Council.
m
“He walked with kings,
but he died for garbage men.
He died for what you can be,
not what you are.”
The Rev. Don Coleman
. ^
■ Speakers and minority
student groups promote '
UNL campus involvement.
By Josh Funk
Senior Reporter
The usual lunch-time crowd of
students assembled their value
meals, class notes and textbooks
around the impromptu stage and
podium constructed in the
Nebraska Union’s main TV lounge.
Instead of the daily dose of
Rosie and Oprah, students gathered
to hear messages promoting under
standing and involvement.
Campus and community groups
assembled throughout the day in the
union to honor the dream of Martin
Luther King Jr. and encourage stu
dents to participate in that dream.
The Rev. Don Coleman, a local
civil rights advocate, compared
King’s dream to a bank account
America could collect on.
“We are here today with Dr.
King’s check saying: America,
show me the money,” he said.
“We have made the deposit,”
Coleman said, “but we must learn
more of others to understand our
heritage and diversity.”
Coleman urged students to
become involved with their com
munity to get a better understand
ing of others.
Minority student groups used
the forum to make the student body
more aware of their groups’ roles
and their goals to create better
understanding at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln.
A combination of videos and
speakers was used to show exam
ples of the discrimination these
minorities still face today.
Each organization had 30 min
utes to reach students with its mes
^•Jj’tie University of Nebraska
Inter-Tribal Exchange President
Vernon Miller explained how dis
crimination such as the use of
Indian sports mascots hurts
American Indians and how igno
rance and insensitivity has hurt
American Indians throughout histo
ry
Donny White, president of the
Afrikan Peoples Union, asked the
audience to use its imagination to
help him paint a picture of life as a
minority student.
Then the APU promised to help
minorities with the transition to
UNL.
Students from the Mexican
American Student Association tried
to show that anyone, not just
LaneHickenbottom/DN
AMBER PRICE off Lincoln dancos to a Mexican tune Monday afternoon In the
Hehraska Union. Price ie part of Sahor Mexicano, a children’s Hispanic
dance group that was performing in honor of King.
ii
We are here with Dr. Kings check saying:
America, show me the money.”
The Rev. Don Coleman
speaker
African Americans, can participate
in the civil rights movement.
The group showed a video about
Cesar Chavez, a Mexican
American labor leader.
The Women’s Studies
Association chose to show a video
about the role of women in the civil
rights movement.
In the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgender Student Association
presentation, Alison Knudsen, pres
ident of the group, used a video to
show the,hatred that often sur
rounds the gay community.
“We challenge you not to judge
someone by the color of their skin
or the gender of the person they
love, but by the content of their
character,” Knudsen said.
The day’s events ended with a
performance by Sabor Mexicano.
Five girls in long, flowing, colorful
dresses danced traditional Mexican
dances.
The rhythmic thunk of their
heels hitting the hard wooden stage
resounded with the strength of a
proud culture.
As the dancers kicked
heels, tt
Speaker:
Use work
of King
today, too
By Jessica Fabgen
Assignment Reporter
Ken Tucker was a 10-year
old boy living in the Bahamas
when Martin Luther King Jr.
was assassinated in 1968.
But even in the Bahamas,
Tucker said King’s nonviolent
protests and hope for equality
had inspired him.
Tucker, a recruitment reten
tion specialist for multicultural
students at Southeast
Community College, encour
aged an audience at the
Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery
auditorium to take King’s ideas
from the civil rights movement
and translate them for use in
todays world.
w‘ “On ApriL4, 1968, a man
was killed, and a new idea was
bom,” Tucker said.
And that ups*. was one
of equality, Tucker said. ;7uk
But the “white-only” soci
ety of King’s time uo longer
exists, Tucker said. People need
a “shifting of methods” as the
21st century approaches.
“Ideas from an old age
must be ideas that evaluate pre
sent day progress,” he said.
“We need to ask ourselves,
‘How far we have come? What
was our original goal?”’
Tucker said instead of
protest marches and sit-ins,
civil activists can push for sol
idarity in the workplace
through academic agendas and
cials.'
Chancellor Junes Moeser,
who spoke after Tucker, said he
hoped the activities UNL had
to offer on Martin Luther King
Jr. Day would help in achieving
King’s dream of that beloved
community.
“A lot of people have come
together to represent various
constituencies to make this a
meaningful event,” Moeser
said.
“There are opportunities
for you and I to experience a
new reality " tucker said. “I
beHeve Ma^^uj^King’s
por.;' jncftTA gsnq
-MM XlflfiffHSntrsrb*;/* Ttro* *' M
Students, community
By Ieva Augstums
Assignment Reporter
Students and community mem
bers became one with diversity and
united in pride Monday by march
ing through downtown Lincoln to
celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
The third-annual Martin Luther
King Jr. Youth Rally not only
brought students and the communi
ty together, but it showed students’
concern for the need to continue
diversity education, Audrey Bates,
rally coordinator, said.
“The Youth Rally was something
that had to be done,” Bates said.
“The march gives students the
chance to show their support of Dr.
King and his beliefs to the Lincoln
~ community.”
. About 200 people gathered at
the Nebraska Union and marched
down 16th Street to O Street, then to
12th Street, and to the Lied Center
for Performing Arts, where a
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
convocation began.
Bates said die rally and convo
cation are the only community pro
jects put on solely by Lincoln youth
that completely focus on King.
More than 40 students from four
Lincoln high schools helped orga
nize the rally, she said.
Moira Ferguson, chairwoman of
the Martin Luther King Jr.
Celebration said youth have always
voiced their opinions on equality
and civil rights.
“This is exactly the thing Dr.
King would have wanted,” Ferguson
said. “Youth carrying on the torch
of freedom for the future.”
Bates said the annual march
gives the youth of Lincoln the
chance to speak and act from their
hearts.
“The students believe in what
they are doing,” Bates said. “They
whole-heartedly believe in equal
rights and equality for everyone.”
Kent LOrenzen, a Lincoln East
High School senior, welcomed par
ticipants to the Youth Rally and
encouraged everyone to open their
hearts in celebration.
“Martin Luther King Jr. was a
nonviolent man, and he believed in
5
classes. High senior said.
“I hope that everyone under- “This celebration is a day to
stands today is not just to get out of ebrate our freedom of diversity
school,” Fayola Christie, a Lincoln for everyone to be unified in spirit”
