Despite having the day off from class, and despite it being freezing and wet outside, hundreds of Grand Valley State University students and faculty turned out for a silent march across campus in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“Ever since I have been here it’s been a silent march, because we want people to concentrate and really think about the moment and put themselves in the shoes of Dr. King and others,” Bobby Springer, the Associate Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Grand Valley State University said.
“It’s not a day off, but a day on. And they understand what has happened in the past, so we can make better decisions in the future.”
The march ended at the school fieldhouse, where activist April Reign gave the keynote address. Famous for criticizing The Academy Awards for not having enough Oscar nominees of color through the twitter hastag “oscarssowhite,” Reign called the students to action.
“On MLK day, we must ask ourselves, how much change is being made, and what we are doing to enact that change,” Reign said.
The Silent March at GVSU kicked off a week of Martin Luther King events at GVSU ending on Saturday with an MLK Day of Service and Solidarity.
A complete list of events can be found here.
