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2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Day Celebration
Sojourner’s Truth Staff
The City of Toledo and the
University of Toledo joined hands for the 19th
year and brought together a number of speakers, performing
artists, students, university faculty and staff and elected
official to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr, on Monday, January 20 at UT’s Savage Hall.
The morning’s event began
with a song from Karen “Lady K” Harris (“Intuition”),
followed by a musical introduction by the UT Blue & Gold Pep
Band, before Mistress of Ceremonies Alexis Means of 13abc
News called the assembly to order and brought in the Lucas
County Sheriff’s Office color guard to present the colors.
After the National Anthem
– sung by Toledo School for the Arts’ student Camille
Wilburn – and the Black National Anthem – sung by soprano
Alicia Russell of the Toledo Opera – the audience saw a
welcome video by Sharon Gaber, PhD, president of UT, and
Wade Kapszukiewicz, mayor of the City of Toledo.
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Laycee Horn |
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The UT TRIBE Dance Team
performed next with an African-inspired routine, followed by
Russell again, who performed a rendition of “Give Me Jesus,”
which had the Savage Arena crowd on its feet with a
sustained applause at the conclusion.
“Being black in America
doesn’t mean it can’t happen,” said UT student Laycee Horn,
as she offered a reading of her poem, “The Dream That
Could.”
“You have to believe, to
succeed,” she said. “You have to believe you will live your
dream.”
Andrew Kinsey, WTOL 11
anchor and teen journalist and blogger, Jaden Jefferson,
presented a video explaining how important 2020 Census will
be. Then followed the presentation of the MLK Scholarship
Awards.
The scholarships were
presented by Willie McKether, PhD, UT vice president of
Diversity and Inclusion, and office assistant, Malaika Bell.
This year’s scholarship recipients are: Josephine Aduba,
Kourtnee Dallas-Robinson, Mariah Hutchins, Juwann McGee,
Emir Moore and Tayana White.
Will Lucas presented a
tribute to Dr. King and the ceremony closed with
performances by a dance troupe from the Toledo School for
the Arts, a vocal performance by Ayanna Hicks of TSA, a
praise dance by Kurt Carr Sistahs in Spirit of UT and final
acknowledgements by representatives of the city and the
university. |
