SIUE Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs Birthday
Major Ken Wilson spoke Tuesday at the MLK Birthday luncheon in the Morris University Center.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcomed speaker ROTC Major Ken Wilson to “Breaking Barriers: Building Blocks of the Dream,” the University’s 31st celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Wilson delivered warm remarks Tuesday about his late mentor, a Tuskegee Airman, who helped guide him through his military career.
Also as part of the event held in the Morris University Center, special awards were given honoring two local high school students and an SIUE student.
Originally, airmen from the Hugh J. White Chapter in St. Louis were supposed to speak during the ceremony. Inclement weather kept the heroes from campus.
Wilson, an associate professor of military science at SIUE, recounted the great influence his mentor, Lt. Col. Bill Thompson of Chicago, had on his career and his life.
“I remember he said to me, ‘I’m going to be your mentor and I’m going to make sure you succeed,’” Wilson told the crowd of more than 240 people who attended the luncheon. He added, Thompson had said, “We set the path; you need to follow it.”
“He motivated me,” Wilson said of Thompson. “He told me not to let anyone stand in my way.”
Wilson recalled being the only African American lieutenant in his unit. Thompson had told him, “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. If you don’t know how to socialize and interact, you’re going to fail.”
Because of Thompson’s direction and guidance, he said he was able to embrace diversity in the military and achieve even greater successes. He said his experiences, and the mentor he had in Thompson, have made him dedicated to the success of others.
“There were very hard times,” Wilson said. “But I made it. I made it.”
He talked to the crowd about a shoe box of memorabilia that Thompson left him, and how much that meant to him.
“He inspired me so much,” Wilson said. “I want to do the same thing he did for me for others.”
A high school writing and visual arts competition are held annually in connection with the event. The students selected as winners were honored during the event. An SIUE student also received the MLK Scholarship Award. The student was chosen based on recommendations, as well as a personal interview and essay expressing their commitment to the values and beliefs of King, and their future goals.
Each year, the luncheon event is held to celebrate Dr. King and his legacy of non-violent social change.
“This year’s awardees are so deserving of these honors,” Laux said. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to recognize and showcase their talent.”
Da’Vyne Moncure, a senior from Belleville West High School, was honored with the visual arts award. Samantha Parish, a sophomore at Alton High School, was the recipient of the high school essay contest.
Emily Koester, a sophomore from Tolono, received the MLK Scholarship Award. The award comes with a plaque and a one-semester tuition waiver. Koester, who has a 4.0 grade point average, is majoring in foreign language and literature with a focus in French, and is pursuing teacher certification.
During the festivities, there were performances by the SIUE Black Theater Workshop Touring Ensemble, the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School students and the SIUE Gospel Choir.
The event was part of SIUE’s “We are One; We are the E” campaign, which is a campus wide effort to promote diversity and inclusion.
