The power of the spoken word was the key to a unique, on-campus celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Members of the university and community were invited to take part in a 24-hour read-a-thon of works by King and other civil rights leaders. Participants signed up to read for five minutes each, continuously, from noon Jan. 18 to noon Jan. 19 in a heated tent outside the Undergraduate Library. More than 200 people were involved, some reading multiple times.

“The idea was to have uninterrupted reading from all kinds of people, so it would be possible to see a Bangladeshi Wayne State student start a passage and then have it continued by an 8-year-old African-American girl — which actually did happen,” says Melodie Wright, campus life event planner, Dean of Students Office. We also had a woman bring two of her children to read.

“Many of the students and young people who read had only heard about the Civil Rights movement in a history class,” Wright said.

“This program allowed them to step back in time through words and really be part of what was happening in this country and the world. By reading his words, the participants could be a part of what Dr. King had to say.”