This article appears for archival purposes. Any events, programs and/or initiatives mentioned may no longer be applicable.
By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
Rio Salado College honored the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at its fifth annual MLK celebration, “Honoring the Legacy: Love in Action,” on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.
The program began with an introductory speech from Dr. Wanda Tucker, Faculty Chair for Philosophy and Religious Studies, and founder of the college’s MLK event.
“I wish I could have marched with Dr. King,” Tucker said. “With that fiery passion, to change the consciousness of people and let them know that I am equal. I am somebody. The color of my skin doesn’t make me less than who I am.”
Each year, event attendees conduct a symbolic tribute march on the grounds of the college’s Tempe campus.
“Every year we continue to be touched by the narratives and we march,” Tucker said. “We march because the work is not over. We march because injustices still exist, and racism is still alive. And because we’re here, we’re going to keep marching.”
In her welcome address, Rio Salado College President Kate Smith thanked Dr. Tucker, who is retiring in the coming months, for championing civil rights, and equality and equity initiatives.
“Dr. Tucker has been a model of ‘love in action’ in all her time at Rio Salado College,” Smith said. “She has given voice to very important and sometimes very difficult issues with grace, kindness and compassion. She has honored and carried forth the scholarship and the legacy of Dr. King and created a lasting imprint on our hearts.”
A keynote address by City of Tempe Council member Berdetta Hodge touched on the impact women made on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life.
“When I think about the love in action theme, I think about women in action,” Hodge said. “MLK did phenomenal things. He was an inspirational speaker and a motivator. He has changed people’s lives for years to come.”
She continued, “But he wouldn’t have been there if he didn’t have the mother he had. She was the one who instilled humanity in him from the day he was born. She was also the one who got her son involved in the NAACP. And his wife, Coretta Scott King, she allowed her husband to stay the face of the civil rights movement, while she was the woman behind the movement.”
The MLK event also featured reflections from Myriah Mhoon, CEO of New Life Center, and several Rio Salado personnel: Dr. Lamont Slater, Faculty Chair for Humanities; Dr. Floyd Hardin III, Inclusion Officer; Kirstin Thomas, Library Instructional Services Coordinator; and Rio alum Cordero Holmes, who recently received a Living the Dream award from the City of Phoenix at its 37th annual Arizona MLK Awards.
The event concluded with a group reading of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
See For Yourself
Relive this special event through our slideshow and video recording.