Jan. 16 may be a federal holiday, but Leathia Botello said she is a firm believer that it shouldn’t be thought of as just another opportunity to sleep in.
Instead, the program coordinator of the University of Idaho Office of Multicultural Affairs said students and community members should celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by honoring King’s life works with acts of public service.
“Many people think, ‘OK, I have this day off, I’m going to go watch Netflix,’ or whatever,” Botello said. “Really, the whole point is to give back to our communities. This is a day set aside so people can reflect on their privileges and give back to their community.”
Botello said the idea of giving back on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is among the topics this year’s MLK Keynote speaker, Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb, will discuss.
“There were a lot of students who wanted to learn how to give back,” Botello said. “Senator Cherie Buckner-Webb is known for giving back and speaking up on diversity issues. We thought she would be a great person to bring.”
In addition to addressing the forms that civic engagement can take, Buckner-Webb will also speak about King’s dream and how individuals have the power to facilitate social change.
“I’m hoping that her speech will inspire us to be involved, be watchful and mindful, so we’re not going back and repeating the same mistakes we made in the past,” Botello said.
The Idaho senator’s address takes place at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Vandal Ballroom of the Bruce Pitman Center.
Botello said attending the keynote address is one of the many events that provides students with the opportunity to learn more about and honor Martin Luther King Jr.
There are two Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service events that take place on campus — the first is held by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the second by the ASUI Center for Volunteerism and Social Action.
Jan. 13, the Office of Multicultural Affairs diversity scholars made donation bags that were passed out to community members and filled with goods for the Vandal Food Pantry. The bags were picked up Monday, the contents of which went to stocking various food pantries on campus.
Jan. 21, the ASUI Center for Volunteerism and Social Action will also hold an MLK Jr. Day of Service in which students can participate.
The 33rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Community Breakfast hosted by the Latah County Human Rights Task Force will also take place Saturday. The event begins at 9 a.m. and will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room at Moscow Middle School. It will feature a full breakfast, entertainment and a keynote address by Mark Trahant, a Native American journalist who will speak on environmental justice. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for students and children.
Beyond honoring King through giving back to the community, Botello said it’s also important for people to use the day as a means of thinking about today’s social inequalities. She said she’s met several students who believe the racism of the ’50s and ’60s is a thing of the past, when that may not be the case.
“A lot of students tend to think, ‘That was so long ago, that doesn’t happen anymore,’” Botello said. “Then you see on the news today that there are still inequalities, like who is being incarcerated more often, who is being targeted by police or not even just by police, it could even be who is being watched when they’re out going shopping.”
Botello said the idea at the heart of this day of remembrance is there are social issues that still need to be addressed, and change that still needs to be facilitated in modern society.
“Keep up the spirit of the holiday and what it really means and who MLK really was and why he is still important today,” Botello said. “It’s about seeing how we can work together to create real change and how our issues are all one issue — it’s not special rights, it’s human rights, and we want to make sure everyone is being equally represented.”
Corrin Bond can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @CorrBond