Martin Luther King’s legacy

After just one week of classes, we get another break! However, this is just no ordinary day off from classes. Monday is the annual celebration of the life and achievements of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While in classes last week, a person asked why we have the day off. I think they didn’t know because they were a transfer student from another country. I knew that not all people know the purpose of this special day or maybe they don’t know who Dr. King was. So I wanted to take this time to talk about a true role model.

He was a courageous, young, African-American minister who changed the world because of the dream he had and shared with the rest of the world. He took on difficult issues such as segregation and gaining equality for all, despite the color of skin. When I look at our university, I see the fruits of Dr. King Jr.’s labor. Our university has many cultures and various colors of people. Because I am an African-American male who has been given the opportunity to attend a university, I appreciate what the Civil Rights Movement has granted me, or else I wouldn’t be writing this blog.

In my communications course, one of the things we will be learning this semester is how to effectively deliver a speech in front of an audience and so my instructor showed us Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech. It was amazing to see all those people who came to support the cause and there were many races in the crowd. I guess what I’m trying to say is that Dr. King was a influential man who left an imprint and legacy in a world that we can build on.

Thank you, Dr. King!

Matthew Maggit is a sophomore in accounting in the College of Business Administration. Matthew decided to come to UIC because of the business program’s reputation and because he wanted to study at a campus with a diverse atmosphere. He likes how close the campus is to downtown Chicago and the Willis Tower. In his free time, he loves to surround myself with loved ones, and he enjoys sports and going to the gym.