The Alcorn State University Office of Religious and Spiritual Life hosted the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March and Program on Tuesday, Jan. 20, highlighting a legacy of service and resistance.

Held in the James L. Bolden Campus Union Ballroom, the event featured a keynote address from Rev. Shirley Harrington of Jackson, Miss., who presented a $5,000 donation to the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. Dr. C.J. Rhodes, director of religious and spiritual life, designated the funds to the Alcorn State University Gospel Choir.

“We are deeply grateful for Rev. Harrington’s investment in our students,” Rhodes said. “This gift to the Gospel Choir ensures that our students can continue to lift their voices and represent the university with excellence.”

Harrington, the minister of social justice at Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, delivered a keynote address drawing from her book, “Grown@13.” She shared harrowing early memories of marching during the civil rights movement, describing the fear she felt upon being arrested. Due to overcrowding in local jails, she recalled being housed with other young women at the fairgrounds under inhumane conditions.

“We used straw and hay to try to cover the smell of animal waste and urine,” Harrington read. “They treated us like animals. I will never forget that.”

She urged the students in attendance to become “writers and keepers of knowledge,” ensuring that such history is never lost. Harrington, now 75, issued a direct charge to the next generation to pick up the mantle of leadership.

“We have overcome much, but there is still much to overcome. I’m too old to march,” Harrington said. “It is your time. The fight is not over. God and all his divine knowledge and understanding has a bright path for you.”

The observance began with a march starting at the Oakland Memorial Chapel steps, led by the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), the Student Government Association (SGA), and the Royal Court.

Reflecting on the role of student organizations in the fight for civil rights, NPHC President Taylar James, a senior biology major from Crystal Springs, Miss., noted that the march was about more than commemoration.

“We are reminded that his dream was never meant to live only in history, but was meant to be carried forward through action,” James said.

For more information, contact the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at 601-877-6444 or via email at [email protected].