“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Associated Student Government and the Black Students Association at the University of Arkansas invited the campus and community to celebrate and remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday Jan. 18. What would typically be an in-person event with a march, speakers, and musical performances, was held virtually beginning at Noon on MLK Day.
The vigil was part of a full slate of virtual events over 3 days hosted by the Northwest Arkansas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Council.
“I always see the MLK vigil as the beginning of the spring semester,” said Mary Skinner, director of Student Activities. “It is such an impactful program that we wanted to make sure we still honored MLK and helped the students start a successful semester.”
“Normally the MLK vigil is held in person in the Verizon Ballroom and marks the end of the MLK Memorial March from Lot 56 on MLK Drive up Stadium Drive to the Arkansas Union,” said Ben Cameron, vice president for ASG. “The vigil will usually include several student performances and readings of poems or essays. The University of Arkansas Inspirational Chorale will perform, and we will have a keynote speaker come to campus and talk about how we can apply Dr. King’s philosophy and practices to change our communities today.”
This year’s virtual vigil included those readings by students of some of Dr. King’s written works, and testimonies of the impact he has had on their lives. The event also included a performance by the UA Inspirational Chorale, which was recorded before the pandemic. The virtual vigil video was made from different videos captured by the performers and put together by a Graduate Assistant in UA Productions.
The event was highlighted by remarks from Anthony DiNicola, inclusion liaison for the University of Arkansas. DiNicola is working to advance key diversity and inclusion initiatives and provide enhanced support around specific student-focused projects in collaboration with the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, the Office for Employment Opportunity and Compliance and other stakeholders. He was previously the senior educator and marketing coordinator at Catharsis Productions, where he led comprehensive trainings in corporate, military and university settings, including trainings on protected class bias, cultivating inclusive workplaces and other diversity and inclusion topics.
Julia Nall, ASG president, gave the program’s closing remarks. She said that even though the event was virtual it still had great meaning.
Anthony DiNicola
“While virtual, the program still felt put together and impactful,” Nall said. “Mr. DiNicola’s remarks were engaging and incredibly relevant to what we are facing now, and hearing from students on Dr. King’s legacy was a nice touch to remind us that Dr. King’s work is still influencing our lives today.”
“While I knew that there was no way to make this event feel exactly the same virtually as it does in person, I think that the video came together quite well and its inclusion of the key elements of vigils from years past helped to make it feel more normal,” Cameron said.
“I do hope that this event will be in-person in January 2022, but I think I have learned that we need to record the event so others can view or livestream to have others see it live if they cannot come in-person,” Skinner said.
“I think the ability to revisit this virtual vigil is especially important,” Nall said. “Dr. King’s legacy is not limited to one day a year—we should take time every day to consider ways to be anti-racist and compassionate.”
You can view the virtual vigil here on the UA Productions YouTube page.