On Monday, Jan. 16, the 37th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Vigil March was held on the campus of Eastern Illinois University (EIU). The guest speaker for this event was John Blue, who eight days earlier became the inaugural executive director and senior diversity & inclusion officer. Prior to this, Blue was at St. Petersburg College in Florida, where he served as the director of the college’s Educational Opportunity Center.
Since 1986, when Dr. King’s birthday became an official federal holiday, the march typically started at the Thomas Hall lobby on the EIU campus. After a brief prayer and reflection, the participants would march to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union, and the main event was held upstairs at the Grand Ballroom. Immediately following the event was the blanket-making event designated to bring the EIU campus together.
The annual vigil is sponsored by the Zeta Nu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, a predominately African-American social fraternity. Zeta Nu is EIU’s chapter of the fraternity. This fraternity is prominent on many college campuses across the nation. As a student at Morehouse College, Dr. King became part of the fraternity, which is the primary reason why they are sponsoring this vigil.
Yarde Wilson, the current Vice President of the Zeta Nu chapter, is a current computer technology major from Chicago who is entering his senior year and set to graduate this spring. Wilson stated the reason why the vigil was earlier than usual this year: “We decided to collaborate with the Office of Leadership & Engagement for the Day of Service event at 2 p.m. at the Grand Ballroom.”
Regarding the march itself, Wilson mentioned, “We had ten to fifteen people there due to the cold weather. The march itself is about commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. King. We would like to increase the turnout of the march each and every year so that we can spread that message to as many people as possible.”
Blue’s position, as aforementioned, is also that of executive director for the Office of Inclusion & Academic Engagement. Blue, during the program, referenced the need for voting. He emphasized that “since it is an election year, young adults need to focus on not only the federal election, but also on the local and state elections because that is when they would see everyday change and the change that will come the quickest.”
He continued to stress the importance of voting and stated, “It wasn’t until the Voting Act (1965) that everybody had a true right to vote in this country. Our ancestors have fought for the right to actually vote and for their voice to be heard.”
