Photo Courtsey of Frank C. Williams
By: Jordan White
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Auburn University at Montgomery is eager to show initiative in its commitment to justice, equality and civic responsibility.
With the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Reflections Breakfast held last week and the ongoing Civil Rights and Civic Virtue Society (CRCV), AUM is committed to increasing virtue literacy, civil rights literacy and community engagement. What better place to showcase the unwavering fight for civil rights than the city known as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement?
Last Tuesday AUM hosted the Martin Luther King Jr. Reflections Breakfast in the Taylor Center where guest speaker Shelley Stewart spoke about civil rights and the impact Martin Luther King Jr. had on society. Stewart, who knew King personally, talked about all the endeavors, trials and hard work it took for King to become a model for not only the Black community but for all people with different backgrounds. Stewart is a Birmingham native who is known as the radio personality “Shelley The Playboy.” According to The History Makers website, Stewart worked for WENN-AM and served as the on-air voice of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham. In the 1970s, he left WENN-AM and started working at WATV-AM, which he later acquired with Erskine Fausch.
Attendees at the breakfast were asked what the MLK holiday meant to them. All agreed that the holiday impacted them as it does for Black people in America because of the doors MLK has opened for everyone. Stewart also chimed in and said, “The MLK holiday means just one day, but I think every day in the year is an MLK day for freedom, liberty and justice for all.”
The CRCV is another civil rights initiative that has become active on campus. According to Chair and Professor of Philosophy Aaron Cobb, who is the project director of the CRCV, the goal of the program is to inspire AUM students, staff and faculty to become people who are courageous when there’s injustice to work together in solidarity. Cobb said the civil rights movement in the mid-20th century ignited the movement to dismantle institutionalized racism and discrimination in the United States. The very push for this movement was guaranteeing rights and freedom for every individual in the hope of creating a society where all are treated equally. The CRCV hopes to see students, faculty and staff at their upcoming speaker series to further bring awareness to different issues in Alabama. The first event the CRCV is showcasing this semester is Thursday, Jan. 25 in Goodwyn Hall 109 at 8 a.m. The CRCV will welcome Kyes Stevens, Director of the Alabama Prison Arts and Education, as guest speaker.
The MLK Reflections Breakfast and CRCV indicate that AUM takes the initiative to host more civil rights programs so the community can be more socially aware of this history. Stewart is one of many who helped shape civil rights in America to where it is now, opening opportunity for more people to succeed.