Story by Adrianna Triche, Reporter
Photo Courtesy of Adrianna Triche

As you know, Martin Luther King day was Monday, Jan. 16. To honor his memory, Aquinas College’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion hosted their annual social justice march through campus. The march was featured by Fox17 News. Other events on Jan. 16 included Monday’s mass at Bukowski Chapel being held in Martin Luther King’s honor and the Aquinas College chorus singing at Fountain Street Church.

Many issues were brought up during the march — for example, the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), and Black Lives Matter. The mention of these relevant issues remind that social justice is still needed today. During the march, supporters walked with student-made signs in hand, stopping along the way only to hear of the injustices that still go on today. Signs quoting MLK were seen throughout, as well as other racial and ethnic quotes.  

The march is a medium through which conversation can be held; hard topics are brought up for conversation and students are given the opportunity to express feelings toward those topics.

When reflecting on social injustice, AQ Senior Summer Huston says “Black women will always be too loud for a world that never intended on listening to us. It’s time to get in formation, remain resilient and practice resistance. Because if anything, us women of color know how to bounce back from anything.”

Quotes on the posters included: “there may be times we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest,” as well as, “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,” and  “the time is always right to do what is right.”

The march was a great way to display the growing need for change.

 We, as a community, have brought Dr. King’s dreams into fruition and have made him proud with work through groups like the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Women’s Studies Center, and VIBE (Voice Inspiring Black Students Everywhere).