MLK Day of Service

Many of us know the works of Dr. Martin Luther King from his march on Washington, which is one of the largest civil rights rallies, to his march from Selma Alabama to Montgomery. Both historical events displayed unity, as groups of individuals came together to take a stance and achieve a common objective, which was voter registration and equality. Dr. King was an extraordinarily strong activist and gained the respect of fellow activists like Malcolm X and Rosa Parks, which inspired individuals willing to lay their life on the line for what they genuinely believed in.

Sure, the measures that we took during our MLK day of service were not the same political issues as Dr. King, however, we showed strength, unity, and support by all coming together regardless of the color of our skins to support our local issues in Greenville, NC. We had students serving from many different sites from community gardens to Goodwill and the food bank of eastern-central North Carolina. Regarding the community gardens, we had students serving at Farmville community garden and the community garden and orchard located at 209 Stancill Drive here in Greenville. About 40 students came out to the community garden to participate in weeding, transplanting blackberry vines, laying out landscape fabric and pavers at the garden plus mulching around fruit trees and bushes to “warm up” the saplings and retain moisture in the winter.

One quote from Dr. King that represents the day of service “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” This quote displays the unselfishness and willingness of students to give up their time (for a “day on” despite having no classes) to help others fix an issue. After a great day of service, Brunswick stew was served at the orchard and a reflection was hosted by the ECU Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE). During this event on campus, students reflected on their MLK Day of Service by responding to MLK quotes that resonated with them. Overall, the day of service was a huge success and I hope ECU continues to provide this opportunity for students to engage and become leaders in the community.

Before Workday – Lots of Weeds:

After Workday – Just Onions: