Were You There?

Were You There?

Martin Luther King Jr., NAACP

A student writes a response to poor turnout to memorial in honor of Dr. MLK Jr.

Donna Dixon

Quad Angles

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

April 23, 1968

Marlene Miller

Digital images in Library Services' Digital Collections are issued by Special Collections, Francis Harvey Green Library, West Chester University. Images are provided for non-commercial, educational, and personal use only, and are not intended for reproduction or redistribution. For the above purposes the user may reproduce these materials (by download, printing, etc.) without further permission, on the condition that proper attribution of the source for all copies is provided by clearly acknowledging the name of the Library, the title of the web page or resource and the URL at which it was located, please credit as follows: Special Collections, Francis Harvey Green Library, West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania. For questions regarding use of digital materials contact Special Collections (libspeccol@wcupa.edu or 610-436-3456). Special Collections assumes no responsibility for direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental infringement of copyright by content users.

Newspaper article

English

Were you there? By DONNA DIXON guest editorial The West Chester state College branch of the NAACP held a memorial service in honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 8, 1968, to pay tribute to the modern apostle of peace and brotherhood. However, to our lasting shame there were many vacant seats in Philips Memorial Library that night. Your seat was empty. Why? Is it because this institution has not taught you what your personal responsibility towards developing proper human relations is? Perhaps this has been left to the student himself, and our faculty has not felt so obligated. As young adults we students need not be spoonfed our education. But if they could only realize this student body's indifference toward brotherhood they would lead you to the paths of righteousness, tolerance, and mutual respect. Paths which we all must tread in order to function in the changing society that college is preparing us for. Paths we must tread in order to make our constitutional ideals work into our lives. No, we cannot return to "business as usual" as we tried to do that following Friday morning. Even our small college routine was disturbed. We are fortunate to have among our faculty, a few educators who tool on the responsibility of representing you at a memorial service at our sister school, Cheyney state College. However fellow students, our quiet, sympathetic faculty cannot make up for your apathy. You should realize that your failure to respond to our (both mine and yours) assassined leader with your sympathies and examples of brotherhood has pointed out your apathy. However, it is never too late to respond. No, you were not there that Monday night. But you are still here. Stand up and speak, question. Your apathy is hurting us all, destroying the purpose of a college education. Even though so few of our faculty spoke to you about our society's loss, they give you the opportunity to speak. Tell your classmates that we are cold because we are missing the warmth and radiance of the words of brotherhood and of social survival passed on to us through Dr. Martin Luther King. Ask that we may be able to see the light. Find a place for your feet in rays that may clear our muddled lives. Shine forth, speak up. I did. And my professor thanked me for it.

Newspaper Article