Tuyen (Trisa) Bui: Student I am Vietnamese and Martin Luther King Jr. is a significant icon to me. Dr. King Jr.’s legacy means there is hope for a future filled with justice and acceptance for all. It means one must look beyond the cultural, religious and physical aspects of another individual and see deep within the characteristics that bond us all as humans. Furthermore, it means that we, as civilians, owe it to each other to applaud one another for the diversity we share. We must embrace this excellence and cultivate a community in which we stand with pride to declare our unity.

Rob Prince: Professor

I remember the day I heard that Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. I was finishing the second year as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunis, Tunisia. I’d stay on for another six months after my traditional tour ended. I had just walked into L’Institute Bourguiba des Langues Vivantes, or, as we Peace Corps volunteers called it `Bourguiba School’, an annex of the University of Tunis where government workers took intensive language training in English, French, German and (for foreigners) Arabic. The two hour lecture ahead was primary on my mind when several colleagues told me that King had been assassinated. The grief and confusion was not felt only by the Americans in the room. The impact was devastating, emotionally shattering to all of us in the teachers’ lounge – Tunisian and American alike. The students I taught in Tunisia, who taught me far more than I ever taught them, had greatly admired King. We had talked often about the civil rights movement in the United States and his role, about the power of pacifism as a tool for social justice. They took his vision of pacifism seriously, so seriously that in his name, a few months prior to King’s death, they had – in an extraordinary show of courage – came out in force during a visit of Vice President Hubert Humphrey to protest the Vietnam War which they opposed as much as any American kid about to be drafted. But this was Tunis, and not New York or Denver. After parading with anti-war slogans for a few minutes they quickly dispersed from Tunis’ central square disappearing down a series of streets from sight but leaving their banners and leaflets on the ground. Five minutes later, after they had all gone, the Tunisian police showed up, and angry they were that the students had evaded their billy club. I watched this unfold with utter amazement. The Tunisian police and security forces made up for it the next three nights with nothing short of a police riot in the area of the university that resulted in two deaths, many wounded and hundreds of student arrests. The great French philosopher, Michel Foucault, who was teaching at the University of Tunis at the time and who had supported the students in their efforts, was arrested, taunted mercilessly for his homosexuality and expelled from the country. The university was closed down for several weeks. A number of university students I had known simply `disappeared’, forever, this, five years before Pinochet came to power in Chile and a decade before the Argentinian junta made disappearing people into a fine science. But two months later when King died, in his honor, they (the Tunisian students) did it again! …`in honor of the great one’ as a I remember a student telling me. And King’s picture appeared all over the city for several weeks until the police, once again in a rage because they couldn’t find the culprits, tore down every one. And in Tunis people wept for Martin Luther King Jr as if he were their own, for he belongs to all of us, to the world.

Ericca McCutcheon: StudentI am Ericca McCutcheon, an activist for change and progression, and Martin Luther King Jr. stands for wisdom and morally founded justice. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize he stated, “Faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future.” Although I was not alive to witness the courageous decisions that Martin Luther King Jr. made during his lifetime, I know that I have been influenced by him to pursue my education at the University of Denver. I know that my education is a privilege that has been fought for rather than a right that was naturally granted to me. I ask my elders about being a witness of the civil rights movement; they say that simply standing in the presence of him was a reward because it brought ambition and conviction to seek a greater future. To me, Martin Luther King Jr. means hope, dedication, and a gigantic step to move beyond oppression through nonviolent action. This dedication to seeking a “brighter tomorrow” is the flame of optimism that continues to burn today. It ignites passion in our leaders to continuously make changes that will lead into perpetual concern for the well-being of man.

Tony Daniels: Ass’t AD I am Tony Daniels and Martin Luther King Jr. means “Inspiration” to me. I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, during the mid 1960s and vaguely recall the day that I learned Dr. Martin Luther King had died. I do vividly remember my mother holding my very tight and just crying, crying, and crying. Again, from what I am able to recall everyone “in my world” was sad for a long time and the grown-ups would stay up late talking while we kids were sent to bed early not totally understanding what was going on and the significance of it at that time. I have since learned that a great human being was taken from us at very turbulent time in our great country’s history. A man who was thrust into the national scene for standing up for civil rights and social justice for every one regardless of race, creed or color. I have been very fortunate to have been raised by a mother who is a God- fearing woman that raised her kids to be socially conscious and contributing citizens to society. My mother, a recently retired social worker who continues to be very active in her church, was my very first hero. I know both of those influences, social work and church, have guided me in my personal and professional pursuits. I am very fortunate to be employed in a field that allows me to be an active participant in the development of others; in particular young people. As a mentor, student organization advisor, and student development professional, I feel that we all have a responsibility to give back and leave things better than we found them (my mother’s saying). As I reflect on my mother’s words I admire her more and more for teaching my sisters and me that we as poor kids living in the housing projects of East Austin had to give back and leave things better than we found them. This was all enhanced because of the volunteering we did with my mother as part of her work and activities associated with the church. I guess I did not realize it then but my mother was modeling the way… During the month of January, I feel we all have the opportunity to model the way Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. devoted his life to equality and social justice. I am quick to also say that every day we should model the way Dr. King and many others such as Chief Joseph, the Nez Perce tribe leader who is best known for his march to Washington, D.C. and saying to politicians in 1879 “Treat All Men Alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.” And Jane Addams who devoted her life to helping people rise above poverty. She best known for her role in establishing the Hull House that provided services for the poor. I believe each person that is part of the DU community has the ability to contribute to the greater good of society in his or her own way. I am proud to be a part of the ONE DU Community and hopefully make my small contribution to the legacy of a great man, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace.

Joel Portman: Student I am Jewish and Martin Luther King, Jr. means equality and social justice to me. Martin Luther King is one of the most well known and respected people in American history and his messages of peace and civil rights for everyone has influenced every single one of us. The Talmud, a Jewish sacred book outlining many Jewish laws, says, “On three things the world stands: on justice, on truth, and on peace.” Martin Luther King was about all of these things. By constantly risking his life to wipe out what he believed to be the underlying problem in America, Martin Luther King set the example for all Americans. Unfortunately, while Martin Luther King was able to make great progress, many of the same issues affecting African Americans several decades ago still exist for them today as well as many other groups who have found themselves subjected to the same underlying discrimination and xenophobic practices of our recent past. In Judaism, there is a principle called tikkun olam or “repairing the world.” This does not mean our own little world, repairing the small communities in which we live, but attempting to solve the underlying issues that lead to those problems. Martin Luther King was a repairer of the world. Everything he did was an attack on the underlying injustices and prejudices that hurt humanity. Judaism and the civil rights movement were great partners. Perhaps it was because of a history of discrimination against both Jews and blacks that both groups ended up working so well together in the 1960s. The movie, “The Tribe,” called this relationship “a special empathy for fellow outsiders.” It would be great if no group was ever forced to be on the outside looking in again. So follow Martin Luther King’s example: become a leader, become a repairer of the world. If we all work to end prejudice and discrimination, to support equality and social justice, then we will all be insiders and we will all be equal.