In honor of the Black History Month celebration, UL Lafayette hosted the traveling, “Carrying on a Dream: A Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Exhibit” at the Blackham Coliseum on campus. The exhibit that showcased the impact of civil rights leader Dr. King, featured the rare display of the hearse that carried the remains of the prominent leader after his assassination and several other artifacts of the civil rights movement. A screening of the “I am MLK Jr.” documentary, which celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. King, was also part of the program.

The exhibit was opened on February 15 with a ceremony featuring UL Lafayette’s Reginald F. Lewis Scholars Caleb Franklin and JaCaleb Smith, University of Louisiana System President Dr. Jim Henderson, UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie, and the Progressive Baptist Church Praise Team.

Dr. Jim Henderson, UL System president expressed the importance of the exhibit in his opening remarks, “This exhibit provides our scholars the opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than themselves. Honoring the legacy of Dr. King will inspire them to dream even bigger as individuals and for others.” 

The president of UL Lafayette, Dr. Joseph Savoie also shared his thoughts that Carrying on a Dream is a showcase of “Dr. King’s enormous contributions to civil rights and valiant fight for an equitable society.” He further added that we all need to work together to make sure that we have an inclusive and non-discriminatory society and campus community. “We have a responsibility to foster principles of inclusion, encourage thoughtful, respectful conversations about race, and engage in activities that promote understanding,” Savoie said.

The statewide exhibit tour is presented by the University of Louisiana System’s Reginald F. Lewis Scholars Program, in partnership with Raising Cane’s. As we are celebrating Black History Month, let’s assure ourselves that it will be a continued celebration of resilience, inclusion, equity beyond this month, and more. As Dr. King famously said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”

By: Faryal Atif, Staff Writer