WNMU Martin Luther King Jr. Day event 011816

Photos and Article by Mary Alice Murphy

On the holiday celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in the Civil Rights Movement, Western New Mexico University held a ceremony, at which each year, a member of the public is inducted into the WNMU Martin Luther King Jr. Hall of Fame.

This year, as in the past, the Mustang Cafeteria was full of people listening to the video of the "I Have a Dream" speech, which King delivered Aug. 28, 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington.

WNMU Communications Director Abe Villarreal welcomed the crowd.

Brewer Hill Baptist Church's Rev. Earseye Ross said the first celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day was held at his church, after the seed for the ceremony was planted by Gloria Bradford.

Ross thanked WNMU Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Vice President Isaac Brundage for representing President Joseph Shepard in this absence.

"Let us give honor to our great creator of the universe, whether you call him Jehovah, God or Lord," Ross said. He introduced the video of the speech and at the end he said: "1963 was not an end but a beginning."

Villarreal said each year the event has a theme. "This year, we partnered with the Grant County Detention Center. We invited some of the inmates to write about what freedom means to them. You can see their letters around the room. One is a letter from Dr. King when he was incarcerated."

Brundage expanded on the introduction and said King went to jail several times. "A lot who worked in the Civil Rights Movement went to jail. One thing we forget about was King's fight against social inequality and economic inequality. King wrote a letter from the Birmingham, Ala., jail in response to letters written by Christian pastors. He compared himself to Paul in the Bible who had traveled to get the message of Christ to the people."

"King wrote of the racist practices of local leaders," Brundage continued. "King makes the call for direct action in his letter. He rebuts what was said in one of the letters that 'The Negro should be more patient,' by writing: 'Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor.'"

"Yes," Brundage said, "King was breaking what he called unjust laws. Two of what he called confessions were directed to hypocrisy and cowardice. And two opposing forces were complacency and radicalism." Brundage encouraged people to take time to read the excerpt from King's letter, which was posted in the back of the room.

"Every year we choose someone to be inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Hall of Fame, " Villarreal said. "We chose Detention Center Mike Carillo because of his caring for those who are incarcerated, as well as their families." Villarreal read a letter in poem form from a mother trying to explain to her children where their father had gone. She said death would be easier to explain than jail.

"Last year at Christmas, Mr. Carillo let us know many kids had their fathers, mostly Hispanic young men, in jail," Villarreal said. "We bought gifts for those kids. Mr. Carillo is steadfast in his desire to reduce recidivism. He has asked for legislative money to create programs to keep them from returning to jail."

He presented Carillo with a plaque for his induction into the Hall of Fame.

"What stands out most for me from Martin Luther King Jr. were his principles," Carillo said. "I want to right the wrongs. I quote Dr. King when he said; 'What are you doing for others?' I am committed to helping those with mental issues, if brought by drugs or other circumstances. We have struggled to right the wrongs of a failed system. We continue to lose too many kids. I continue to challenge the system. I am grateful we have days like today to honor the Dr. Kings of the world.

"I will cherish this award forever," Carillo concluded.

Ross said it was the 1960s when he took part in the Civil Rights Movement. "We always had music before, during and after every march. We were asked why we sang, and we replied: 'We sing to keep 'em cursing.' I think my daughter Rachel came out of the womb singing. She has sung all over the country and now sings out of Albuquerque. I am proud to introduce my daughter Rachel Ross, who will sing for you."

Rachel Ross sang four songs, the last of which was "Precious Lord," King's favorite song.