Martin Luther King Jr., of Atlanta, Georgia, was a leader in the American civil rights movement. During the movement, King was first elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which is commonly known in correlation with the infamous Montgomery Bus Boycott.
For just over a decade, King represented leadership to endless crowds of Americans with shared views. King’s views aligned with other famous American activists like Claudette Colvin, Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X. King is well known for his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech which he held just a few years before the Fair Housing Act in 1968 which ultimately marked the end of the civil rights movement.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, also known as ‘MLK Day’ is a special federal holiday that annually honors the life and accomplishments of Dr. King. This holiday is held every third Monday of January.
These accomplishments are something that needs to be celebrated beyond the confines of Garden City Community College. Not only should the administration and students get to celebrate moments like these, but the public community does as well.
Behind the scenes, our Garden City Community College Student Government Association organized an evening of celebration for MLK Day. On Monday, January 20, 2025, a crowd joined together in the Dennis Perryman Athletic Complex on campus at 7:30 pm to honor the courageous Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To start the evening the GCCC SGA recognized Sister Roserita Weber and Sister Janice Thome as the 2025 Tommy Austin Community Impact Honorees. The Tommy Austin Community Impact Award acknowledges a reflection of Tommy Lou Austin of Garden City, Kansas in other individuals around the community.
Following the acknowledgment of Weber and Thome, Dr. Toby S. Jenkins took the podium.
“We’ve got pics, reels, stories. Look at me, like me, see me, hear me. We’ve got flashy cars, the no strong sense of self, designer clothes. Meanwhile, we’re struggling. What we’ve got is grabbing at straws and nothing to drink,” Jenkins opened.
This captivating message is more than just a hook to a plethora of words to represent modern behavior. Dr. Jenkins sought to mirror similar messages shared by Dr. King throughout his leadership in the 1950s-1960s. Through an interview with GC3 Media members, Jenkins expressed a heartfelt message about change.
“Even those types of experiences thicken my skin and help me to realize that when someone gives you critical feedback it’s out of love. It helps to make you better it’s not an attack on you or something negative, we should always be seeking out that type of feedback even when you’re doing well. Even when we have incredible success, asking our friends and colleagues “Was there anything I could have done differently or do you have ideas about a different way of approach…?” … That comes from being open to receiving feedback, hearing the truth, taking direct communication. Building up that ability helps you in so many different routes in life but is absolutely what we need in order to change the ills in our society,” Jenkins stated.
Whether feedback is direct or relative to an individual it still approaches change in a matter that is needed. Like Dr. King, Jenkins shares the not wanted but needed change in day-to-day environments.
During her speech, Dr. Jenkins cultivated the crowd not only with her strong message but also with a phone flash activity that proceeded to highlight the views shared throughout attendance.
In honor of this American Federal holiday, Jenkins did not fail to mention the development of open minds since Kings representation throughout American history.
“Let’s be clear, this country hated the reverend Dr. Martin King Jr. They put the full force of their foot on his neck. He would have never imagined that he would be loved the way that he is today,” Jenkins asserted.
Since Dr. King’s passing, his words have echoed nationally and resonated with many different areas of the United States of America public. His words are important for the world to remember and will continue to be remembered for years to come.
