Coastal Georgia Celebrates King’s Legacy
College of Coastal Georgia helped kick off Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend with its fourth annual commemorative walk Friday.
Although the walking portion of the event was canceled due to the threat of foul weather, students and faculty heard from speakers who reflected on the impact of King’s legacy and the way it can shape change today.
Laura Khurana, a member of A Better Glynn, a local nonprofit working to transform the community with equity driven leadership, urged the students to stay awake and alert to what’s happening in their community and to get involved.
“We’re here today to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr….had a lot to say about the status quo,” she said.
Khurana said she learned in school that King was a hero on the right side of history. Her understanding of his legacy has grown as she’s gotten older and read more about him.
“When he was alive, he was not a popular person,” she said. “He made a lot of people mad. He made a lot of White people mad.”
Reading from her copy of “Radical King,” a compilation of speeches and writings by King, Khurana tied his past words with events occurring in Glynn County today. This included an excerpt from a manuscript King wrote about the “beloved community” that works together to eradicate racism, poverty and violence.
King urges in the manuscript that citizens not sleep through moments of important social change. Khurana pressed the students to listen to this advice.
“Here he’s telling us to stay awake, to pay attention, to be aware of our surroundings and what’s going on in our community so that we can respond to it as it changes,” she said. “This might be the powerful message I can give you today through Dr. Kings own words — stay awake.”
She also encouraged them to get involved in a variety of ways. She said to read the newspaper with a critical eye, vote, consider running for office, attend meetings and get to know elected officials.
“Our community needs you,” Khurana said. “We need your stories, your perspectives, your energy and your ideas. We are so lucky to have you and we can’t wait for you to come alongside us as we work to build a community that Dr. King would be proud of.”
The event also included a virtual speech given by Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, who planned to attend the event in person but had to be out of town due to the recent death of his father.
Students have been a critical part of the civil rights movement during King’s time and today, Johnson said. He urged the students at CCGA to join in this work.
“Young people, students, the best and brightest of their time were the clear North Star with an absolute refusal to allow things to remain as they were,” he said. “Fast forward to 2024, you are the best and brightest of our time.”
Story written by Lauren McDonald of The Brunswick News lmcdonald@thebrunswicknews.com
Photos taken by Terry Dickson/The Brunswick News
Republished with the permission of The Brunswick News. Originally published in The Brunswick News