Esteemed journalist and political activist Bakari Kitwana delivered his keynote address, “Dr. Martin Luther King’s Legacy and the Hip-Hop Generation,” at Radford University’s Bonnie Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

This is the second year Radford University has celebrated the life and accomplishments of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. President Penelope Kyle delivered an inspiring and moving welcome to the ceremony, she stated, “When I first came to Radford University we were not truly celebrating the day of Martin Luther King.” Kyle went on to talk about King’s view of the world stating, “We begin to learn about the wealth of experiences when we expose ourselves to others.”

The middle of the ceremony was marked by singing the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” a song of remembrance, scholarship, and celebration as well as a motivating poem written and delivered by Radford student Stephanie Taylor entitled “King.”

Taylor, a junior from Danville, Va., is involved in numerous school programs including the NPHC and Delta Sigma Theta organization. She received a standing ovation from the audience of more than 100 because of her honest and inspiring words.

The power of Taylor’s poem provided a bridge between generations. “But as soon as March rolls around/ We go to our old ways/ Forget about freedom fighting/ And regress back to our place/ And don’t speak of King or Parks or Garvey/ Until we see February next/ Then we think it’s enough to watch/ Denzel play Malcolm X.”

Following Taylor couldn’t have been easy for anyone but the Deliverance Gospel Choir and the band did a wonderful job in leading the audience into a string of upbeat songs. Black Student Affairs Council President Joseph Goad was next on the podium to introduce the guest of honor, Bakari Kitwana.

Kitwana had three main points to address in honor of King, he said, “I want to discuss the crucial issues where America hasn’t moved forward through oppression and how Dr. King’s teachings are still relevant today, how the [civil rights] movement is bigger then just one man, and how morality has changed over the years in definition.”

Kitwana stated that King’s legacy is still showing up through the younger generations of today but said that, “For most people, their knowledge of Dr. King doesn’t go beyond the ‘I Have a Dream’ sound bite.”

The ceremony ended with closing remarks by Darrell Thorpe, the RU Director of Multicultural/International Student Services, and a blessing of food provided to guests in attendance but Minister Matthew Brown.

Sally Zaki is a Media Studies major at Radford University.