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Thursday, March 28, 2024
<p>Edward Zambrano, a 22-year-old UF political science senior, and Grace Burmester, a 30-year-old faculty member from the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, create signs for the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration March and Kickoff.</p>

Edward Zambrano, a 22-year-old UF political science senior, and Grace Burmester, a 30-year-old faculty member from the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, create signs for the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration March and Kickoff.

With rain drizzling down and colorful handmade signs in tow, students marched across campus, singing, “This Little Light of Mine.”

About 90 students gathered at the Reitz Union amphitheater Thursday evening for the Multicultural and Diversity Affairs’ annual Martin Luther King Jr. March. Diana Moreno, an assistant director of MCDA, said the group hopes to revive the celebration of King’s legacy. The Black Student Union, Hispanic Student Association and the Black Graduate Student Association also contributed to the planning of the event.

Prior to the march, students made their signs, writing out some of King’s famous quotes or writing about social issues that pertained to them.

Maite Torres, a first-year College of Education graduate student who helps oversee high school classes, carried a sign that read, “If you don’t fight for all womxn, you fight for no womxn.”

“I’m out here because a lot of my students talk to me about this, and I think it’s important to support those students in the role that I’m in,” she said.

As the march began, participants passed by students reenacting civil rights movements, including Colin Kaepernick kneeling and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protests.

Dwayne Fletcher, the president of BSU, spoke at a gathering after the march about being active in times of discrimination and offered to help students get involved in activism.

“It’s not just about marching — make sure you do your part,” he said. “What are you going to be doing on Monday?”

MLK EVENTS

  • Jan. 19 - Moment to Movement Workshop at 6 p.m. at Pugh Hall
  • Jan. 20 - MLK Day of Service at 8 a.m. at the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom
  • Jan. 23 - MLK Keynote — Quinta Brunson at 7 p.m. at Reitz Union Rion Ballroom
  • Jan. 25 - Advocacy in Action Panel at 4:30 p.m. at Ustler Hall
  • Jan. 27 - Campus Multi-Faith Progressive Dinner at 6 p.m. at UF Hillel

Edward Zambrano, a 22-year-old UF political science senior, and Grace Burmester, a 30-year-old faculty member from the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, create signs for the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration March and Kickoff.

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