Alcorn to host virtual celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Alcorn to host virtual celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place on Alcorn State University's website to honor the civil rights icon’s legacy.

Alcorn will host the Martin Luther King Jr. Virtual Convocation Monday, Jan. 18, at 10 a.m. The program's theme is “By All Means Keep Moving: Progressive Leadership in Perilous Times.” Director for Student Religious and Spiritual Life, the Rev. Dr. C. Edward Rhodes II, will be the keynote speaker. A viewing link will be provided on Alcorn’s website on the day of the event.

Leading the Convocation is a testament to Rhodes’ admiration for King and his legacy.

“My affinity for Dr. King can be traced back to my senior year at Hazlehurst High School, when my oral communications teacher, Mrs. Gwen Robinson, insisted that I deliver an MLK speech during the school-wide Black History Month program," said Rhodes. "Since that time, Dr. King’s words and vision have inspired me. I hope to inspire the campus with my message.”

With so much political unrest in the country, Rhodes expressed the importance of paying homage to King’s vision of non-violence and equality for all.

“Dr. King was a prophet who knew the importance of leading with hope and love and not settling for the politics of fear. His dream of a beloved community, where racial justice and economic prosperity would be shared by all people, made him a drum major for such a world of peace and equity. With our nation mired in divisions, decadence, and disappointments, I believe it’s fitting for Alcorn to point us to a preferred future employing King’s visionary and transformational servant leadership.”

Rhodes hopes to send a message of faith and perseverance during Monday’s event.

“I want to encourage the Alcorn family that God is not through with us yet. This institution has survived against great odds for 150 years. If we trust God and not let crisis have the last word, we can make difficult days turn refreshing. Backward never, onward ever is the clarion call I want to leave with us that day.”