Students, CFAW guests commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

This week, the Liberty University community took time to honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated 50 years ago in Memphis, Tenn.

During Convocation on Friday, students and College For A Weekend (CFAW) guests commemorated the anniversary of King’s assassination. Members of the Liberty Worship Collective performed a cover of U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” — a ballad written about the assassination of King. In the background, a video displayed text excerpts from King’s 1962 speech at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg.

“This evening, if I can leave anything with you here in Lynchburg, if I can leave anything in Virginia, I want to leave the message of love, for I think it is the most durable power in all the world,” King said in 1962. “We shall overcome because the Bible is right. Ye shall reap what you sow. So, if we will go off with that faith, we will be able to move out of the bleak and desolate midnight of man’s inhumanity into the bright and glittering daylight of freedom and justice.”

Although the actual anniversary of King’s assassination was on Wednesday, April 4, Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development David Nasser explained that Liberty’s commemoration was extended to Friday so that CFAW guests would be able to participate as well.

Following Convocation on Wednesday, April 4, Liberty joined the nation in honoring King by ringing the bells atop Freedom Tower 50 times for the 50th anniversary, and students left the Vines Center in silence, pondering the legacy that King left behind.

“God is calling for you to be freedom fighters, and if the church does not rise up, then no one ever will,” Nasser said on Friday, reflecting on those powerful moments of silence. “So, I think we celebrate what God has done in and through King. But it is imperative for us to not just watch a video and agree with it, but to say that one day … we will live in a nation where racism is … rooted out.”

Liberty hosted a video competition for CFAW guests, wherein about 50 prospective students created and submitted a video honoring the legacy of King. Tomorrow, after the videos are judged, one College For A Weekend contestant will be selected as the winner and receive a $10,000 scholarship.

“It says a lot about you, that you want to leverage your talents to send a bigger message of unity instead of separation,” Nasser said to the contestants. “So, to us, you’re exactly the type of person we want on our campus.”