Virginia Tech and Radford University each hosted highly regarded keynote speakers for their respective Martin Luther King Day celebrations this year—fortunately on different days for those of us who wanted to attend both. Tech brought in Princeton professor Cornel West while RU invited Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP. Each event incorporated choirs, representatives from various students organizations, and a candlelight vigil, but the contrast between the two seems noteworthy.

For starters, the event at Virginia Tech was well attended, nearly packing Burruss Auditorium, which seats 2,900, while Radford’s turnout of approximately 250 was disappointing, especially in Bondurant Auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,500. Granted, RU’s celebration came two days after MLK Day itself and on a cool, foggy, and rainy evening.

One thing Radford had over Virginia Tech was surprisingly the choir. Tech’s ensemble delivered the most lackluster version of “We Shall Overcome” I think I’ve ever witnessed, while the William Fleming High School Choir from Roanoke performed several inspired numbers, including a chill-inducing rendition of “My Name is Victory.”

As for the speakers, comparing their styles is a bit apples to oranges. West has a much more dramatic flair, more like a preacher’s, flowing from one topic to the next, from philosophy to criticism and back again. From news reports, the speech was very similar to the one he delivered earlier in the day to Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, and yet it seemed nearly impromptu. Bond more or less read his talk (so quickly I rather worried for the interpreters for the hearing impaired) but it was filled with hard-hitting statistics and was equally as eloquent as West’s.

Cornel West may have earned more street cred by making music with hip-hop stars such as KRS-1, Andre 3000, Prince, and Jill Scott. But Julian Bond has appeared on the Colbert Report too—even helping the comedian pick his “new black friend.”

While West is known as a more controversial character than Bond, each was quick to offer a few zingers directed at anyone who, in their minds, deserved them. West has been known to be critical of the current administration, and even mentioned in his speech that President Obama called him to ask why he was critical (to which he replied, “Because I believe them.”) But to be fair, while Julian Bond may not focus his criticisms on the Obama administration, his message was clear that stark disparities still exist between the realities of the white and non-white, and in no way has racism ceased to exist because we’ve elected a black president. And both emphasized social and economic justice and the need for policy changes on behalf of those in need.

Comparisons aside, as a resident of the New River Valley, I’m extremely grateful that these high-profile civil rights leaders were invited and agreed to bring their respective wisdom to our region.

Taryn Chase suddenly misses her gospel choir days.