Chant Tea: Inspiration to all, remembering Dr. King this January
Photo provided by Associated Press
In this October 27, 1960 file photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is given a welcome home kiss by his wife Coretta, upon his return to Atlanta following his release from Reidsville State Prison on bond. King’s children, Yolanda, 5, and Martin Luther III, 3, join the welcome celebration. (AP Photo, File). See inside for The Chanticleer’s coverage of local commemorations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including Editor-in-Chief story on pg. 2 and graduate assistant Annette Peagler’s column on pg. 13.
Name: Ryanne Forrest
Year: Sophomore
Major: Theatre
Hometown: Fairfield, Connecticut
“He redefined really what it meant to protest, especially the acts of segregation. You know, there were two different ideas of protesting, and he led the peaceful protest. He was just able to unify people together for a cause that people of all different sizes, ages and colors could just agree on.”
Name: Brittany Williams
Year: Junior
Major: Exercise and sports science
Hometown: Florence, South Carolina
“As an African American, I believe that his legacy meant a lot to us, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be able to go to college. We wouldn’t be able to, you know, sit on the bus as normal people, to have the education that we need now as we’re growing up and becoming professionals. I believe if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be who we are today. I really look upon him as a leader and someone who really changed America.”
Name: Reggie Barlow
Year: Senior
Major: Communication
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
“It means anything is possible with enough people realizing that there’s something wrong and something to be improved on and if we come together, a lot can be done.”
Name: Malik Murphy
Year: Sophomore
Major: Sociology
Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina
“I feel like it’s an inspiration to me. It helped me gain the rights that I have today. With Martin Luther King, there’s also many other leaders that helped like Malcom X. It feels like it shows that we as African American people can actually fight for what we have and grow because, again, it was just a few hundred years that we were just in shackles and now to see that we are here today is kind of inspirational that I can go to college.”
Name: Logan Bellos
Year: Senior
Major: Political science, Language and intercultural studies
Hometown: Ivoryton, Connecticut
“He was a good trailblazer to make sure everybody felt important in American society– and not even just America, but just the general world. And that’s a good thing because there’s, you know, discrepancies between race, religion, and whatnot that’s not good for the world or America.”
Name: Naima Nicolas
Year: Sophomore
Major: Business management
Hometown: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
“He really paved the path for all Black people. He inspired all of us to do what we needed to do to defend ourselves. He really inspired all of us to speak.”
