The voice of soul singer Sam Cooke filled the air as about 100 people gathered in the Reitz Union Amphitheater Tuesday night.
“A Change is Gonna Come” came over the loudspeakers and set the tone for the evening before the commencement of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Candlelight Vigil.
Natalia Leal, assistant director of UF Multicultural and Diversity Affairs, said she was happy to see students from all backgrounds come together for the vigil.
“It was a pretty diverse turnout,” she said.
The Rev. Jim Merritt of Campus Ministry Cooperative said the event, which the cooperative created six years ago, is a wonderful acknowledgment of King’s message of service and unity.
Multicultural and Diversity Affairs has coordinated the vigil for the past three years.
Merritt said King’s legacy is especially relevant after last week’s earthquake in Haiti and student efforts to help the victims.
“It gives us an immediate opportunity to practice what we preach,” he said.
Vice President for Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin said she was proud of the way students have acted on King’s ideals in dealing with the tragedy in Haiti.
“I’m so impressed with our students that have come forth with courage and expression,” she said.
Telles-Irvin announced that the University Athletic Association has pledged to match up to $50,000 of student donations to send to the victims in Haiti.
The rest of the night featured a performance by the University Gospel Choir, reflections by local children from the Boys and Girls Club and a short video with clips of King.
Camille Evelyn, a sophomore English and African studies major, recited a poem calling for more change and a continuation of Dr. King’s philosophy of peace.
She compared today’s state of affairs to putting make-up on a wounded face, and she made no apologies for speaking frankly about the world’s continuing struggles with racism, poverty and violence.
“I didn’t come here to make you comfortable,” Evelyn said. “I came here to tell you the truth.”
Before a closing song, students from Gator United for Haiti appealed to the crowd for continued support in the relief effort.
Club Creole President Altina Fenelon said it was people’s responsibility to assist one another in this time.
“This is not Haitian issue,” Fenelon said. “It’s a human issue.”
