The Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Dinner is an annual banquet held in the Brown Ballroom of Bone Student Center. Celebrating the life and influence of Dr. King, this year ISU hosted civil rights lawyer and scholar Sherrilyn Ifill. Ifill is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and was recently named one of TIME Magazine’s Women of the Year. Brown Ballroom was full, with tickets sold out to students, faculty, and other members of the community, who wanted to ask questions and hear what Ifill had to say.
Social Science teachers David Harnish and Kate Pole are co-sponsors of Black Student Union (BSU). Harnish and Pole got their students on the list to attend as they wanted BSU students to hear what Ifill had to say.
“Sherrilyn Ifill is incredible, based on her experience, and what she has done in the past. Working for the NAACP to try and represent people,” Harnish said. “In terms of activist advocacy, she had lots of examples of how she worked in the legal field while trying to help people, proving it wasn’t just about collecting a pay day.”
The main objective that Ifill discussed was the fight for democracy, especially for through access to voting rights. She pointed out that changes and progress that the U.S. has made since the civil rights movement has not been as proactive in some cases as in other cases. Ifill argued that if we want to build a better future we have to fight for everyone to have a voice.
“I thought that was a pretty powerful call to young people saying that if you care about these ideas of democracy, justice, equality, and freedom for everybody, then you have to go out and fight for it with different things that you do,” Harinsh said. “ You can take real action, you can join organizations, make your life’s work something that helps other people. You can pay attention and be aware of what is going on politically, and try to advocate for what you think is right.”
The fourteenth amendment is about equal protection under the law for citizens. This law is based on the history of African Americans in this country, people who have been denied freedoms through a history of enslavement and discrimination. This amendment was the first protection the U.S. government codified.
“I like how Ifill was saying that people know their first and second amendment rights, but do they know their fourteenth amendment rights,” Harnish said.
Not only did attendees learn more about the Fourteenth amendment, but they participated in an important social event within the community.
“It’s a night of the year where people are dressed up in their best,” Harnish said, “and it’s so many local people who have influence in the community, who by being there are showing their commitment to trying to live out the legacy of Dr. King.”
BSU member Benedicta Johnson said the experience was important.
“It was nice to come together and discuss change in our environment,
Johnson said. “It was fun to hangout with people I could actually identify with outside of school.”
Students spent some quality time with Ifill after the dinner and ended by taking photos with her, giving a connection to these young people who do want to make a difference.
“By seeing younger people are invested and want to make a difference. It is my job to help make those connections because it is more about them than me,” Harnish said. “To see that the connections young people are making gives the older generations a lot of energy and hope for the future.”
