GOSHEN —

It was a day of song, reflection and renewed faith at Goshen College Monday morning as students, faculty, staff and community members gathered to remember the legacy of renowned civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.

With the arrival of the 18th annual "Martin Luther King Jr. Community Study Day" at GC, students set aside their usual class schedules to attend a presentation celebrating King’s message of equality for all individuals, no matter their race, gender or place of origin.

That message, brought so vividly to life on Aug. 28, 1963 with his famous "I have a dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, served as an undisputed catalyst in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Kicking off the celebration Monday morning was a prayer breakfast featuring song, prayer and plenty of food, after which students, faculty and invited guests gathered for a program of poetry and storytelling drawn from the day’s theme of "This Far by Faith: Christ, Hope and Survival".

After the coffeehouse-style gathering, attendees made their way to the college church-chapel for some inspirational music by the Voices-n-Harmony Gospel Choir before hearing from the first of two featured speakers, Manuel Luis Martinez, a writer and professor of American and Chicano literature at Ohio State University.

During his talk, Martinez spoke of the inspiration he has gleaned from King’s messages of hope and unity, messages he has drawn upon continuously throughout his successful career.

"Hope inspires, and inspiration creates hope," Martinez said.

While King’s legacy began nearly 50 years ago, Martinez said the core of that legacy — the pursuit of civil rights for all — is still a battle yet to be won.

Martinez made the parallel between the race-fueled conflicts of the 1960’s with current issues of immigration making headlines in Arizona and Southern California.

"Dr. King’s words are not just words that had meaning 45 or 50 years ago," Martinez said. "They have meaning, they have relevance today."

Drawing upon memories and stories from his past, Martinez encouraged those in attendance to work toward that goal of equality each and every day, adding that it is everyone’s duty to fight injustice and intolerance wherever it is found.

Following Martinez was a presentation by African-American religious historian Dr. Quinton Dixie.

An assistant professor of philosophy at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Dixie called heavily on the words of King and another influential American civil rights leader, Howard Thurman, to present his message of staying engaged in the fight for equality and social justice.

"We have to be both lovers and fighters," Dixie said. "Thurman says it’s with love that we have to fight."

While he admitted that much progress has been made in that fight over the past few decades, he noted that the fight is by no means over.

"There are a lot of things that still haven’t changed," Dixie said. "There are a lot of things that still need to be done."

So how should one advance this fight in the days ahead?

"Be troublemakers," Dixie said, adding that sometimes you have to tackle problems that may be difficult or even dangerous in order to do the right thing.

As motivation, Dixie asked those in attendance to envision what topics King would be championing if he were alive today — issues such as unemployment, corporate greed, and the gap between the rich and the poor.

"There are a lot of ways for us to get involved. Just pick one," Dixie said. "I hope you all will find your way to be engaged."

Concluding Monday’s celebration was an informal "town hall" gathering in the fellowship hall where a panel of racially diverse GC students shared their thoughts about race with those in the audience.

Brook Hostetter, a sophomore at GC, was particularly moved by the day’s events.

"After the convocation and this town hall meeting I just feel very empowered," Hostetter said. "The speakers were great, the programs were great, and I’m just proud of Goshen College for making this a big deal, because it does need to be recognized."

Daniel Butler, a GC student who served on the town hall panel, had his own words of praise for GC Monday.

"People put a lot of effort and hard work in presenting this day, and it’s good to come out and support that," Butler said. "We’re trying to connect and make it possible for people of different races, cultures and backgrounds to successfully talk and converse about the subject of race. We’re encouraging people to get out of their comfort zones for a while and just every day try to do something to further the vision that Martin Luther King put before us."