In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, the ETSU Office of multicultural affairs hosted the third annual Unity Walk and birthday celebration on Tuesday in remembrance of Dr. King and his accomplishments in the area of civil and human rights.
The Unity Walk began in ETSU’s parking lot 1A and gave the campus and the community an opportunity to express themselves through the use of banners promoting peace, civil rights and unity.
Following the Unity Walk, the birthday celebration took place in the Cave Common Grounds, where there were guest speakers, including Tracey Haynes who gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
There were also musical selections performed by LaTonya Bragg and Tamara Landsen of the ETSU Gospel Ensemble.
King’s vitality in the evolution of civil rights was represented in the program.
His “I Have a Dream” and “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” were two of the main highlights of the commemoration.
“Dr. King’s nonviolent approach for change continues to have a positive impact throughout this country and the world. Today, in honoring Dr. King’s memory and achievements, we are all still challenged to break down the barriers that hold us back — individually and as a nation — from making Dr. King’s dream a reality. We must not forget those who have walked before, and we do honor them. And we must continue the good work of these men and women who have gone before us, that their good works should have not been in vain,” said Carmen Bradley, program assistant of multicultural affairs.
King’s movement is important to many different groups other than African-Americans, Bradley said.”When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
— King, speaking at the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963.

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