The first Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. service project at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) included a unity walk around campus, a call to action, and a poster contest illustrating influential and successful East St. Louisans.
More than 50 SIUE students, including those from Collegiate 100, Black Girls Rock and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, joined 120 SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) students on Friday, Jan. 18 in recognizing King’s life and legacy with activities designed to honor accomplishments of the past and motivate action in the present.
“SIUE’s connection to the East St. Louis campus is critical,” said Tarsha Moore, assistant director of the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion (CSDI), who originated the idea of a service project at the ESLC. “We are eager to pay it forward by instilling SIUE values to the younger generation, and we have a pipeline with the Charter High School students.
“East St. Louis is already doing amazing things, and we wanted to be a part of that rich history.”
Students began the day’s event with marching around the perimeter of the East St. Louis campus. Some carried signs that read: “The Time is Always Right to Do Right” and “If You Can’t Fly, Run. If You Can’t Run, Walk. If You Can’t Walk, Crawl.”
Dominic Dorsey II, Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) director, magnified the purpose of the service project. Dorsey challenged participants to be more than “woke.”
Dorsey referenced the speech, “Remaining Awake through a Great Revolution,” that King gave June 14, 1965 at Oberlin College’s commencement address.
“Dr. King didn’t just want us to be aware, he wanted us to take action,” said Dorsey. “What are you doing to help others? Everyone wants to be an ally, but no one wants to be an accomplice. You could be an ally today and a liability tomorrow, but when you’re an accomplice, you have a stake in the matter.”
Later, students participated in an art/history lesson and contest. “On your tables, you will find the names of extremely important people in this community,” CHS Guidance Counselor Pamela Saffore told the students. “East St. Louis has a rich and wonderful history. It is your history.”
The students closed out the project with drawing and decorating East St. Louis historical figures. Students read about their subject matter from Reginald Petty and Tiffany Lee’s book, Legendary East St. Louisans: An African American Series, which was on each table.
Some of the famous East St. Louisans illustrated by students included Bryan Cox, Miles Davis, Katherine Dunham, Dr. Larry Gladney, Reginald Hudlin, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Dr. Lillian Parks, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, Judge Milton Wharton and Dr. Katie Wright.
“It was a good thing for me to participate,” said CHS sophomore Danisha Gilmore, who was working on a drawing of the East St. Louis athlete Cox. “I didn’t know anything about him, and it’s good to see how much he accomplished.”
“I know East St. Louis has a lot of rich history, that includes Dr. Eugene B. Redmond,” said Patrick Bowman, president-elect of Collegiate 100 and a sophomore majoring in accounting. “This was my first time to the East St. Louis campus, and I plan to come back.”
Justin Ufheil, a junior majoring in social work, has volunteered in East St. Louis at least once a month for the past three years.
“When I first came, I did feel a little out of place,” said Ufheil, of Germantown Hills, “but it’s been encouraging to see the strength and solidarity of this community. I believe in advocating for social change and empowering people and communities to do their best. I was glad to have this opportunity to participate in this service project today.”
“This event is exactly what Dr. King envisioned in his 'I Have a Dream' speech,” said CHS Director Gina Jeffries.
Photos:
Students from SIUE and the East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) participate in a unity march as part of the first Dr. Martin Luther King service project on the East St. Louis Center campus.
Working on their portrait of a historic East St. Louisan are CHS seniors Jamerson Williams (left) and Jasmine Whitley, with help from Reginald Hamilton of SIUE’s Collegiate 100. Observing is Dominic Dorsey II, Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) director.
Intent in their drawing of an East St. Louis historical figure are CHS students Jairen Robinson, sophomore, (left) and DaiViyonna Jenkins, freshman.