Bruhs are Community Leaders at Univ of Mississippi

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Crowd unites at MLK vigil

by Erin M. Smith
DM Senior Staff Writer
January 21, 2003

As a throng of different races lifted their voices in the streets and held candles shining to the sky, they began their march down Jackson Avenue honoring the late Martin Luther King Jr.
Alumni and Oxford resident Jordan Camp said he is proud to live in Mississippi when events such as the vigil occur.

"It's beautiful to see people in Mississippi with such a segregationist past here today to celebrate racial unity and the progressive vision of Martin Luther King," Camp said.

The seventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. Candlelight Vigil was held Monday night with approximately 200 people attending. The vigil, sponsored by the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, celebrated the life and times of the assasinated civil rights leader.

"Hopefully, (the program) will open people's minds and hearts to the ideas that Martin Luther King stood for, such as unity and equality," said Keylon Simpkins, chapter president of Omega Psi Phi.

The event culminated with the Rev. Elbrist Mason, pastor of Burns and Hammitt Hill United Methodist Churches, asking the community to look at the progress in communication between different groups and consider what lies ahead.

"We must engage one another in such a way that we can walk in the present," Mason said. "We must engage the past, accept what was in the past, and move out of the past so that the past does not weigh us down. You cannot lead unless you're in the future," Mason said.

"We have come a long way," Mason added. "A lot of things are so much better, but things are not where God would want them, nor are they where Martin thought they would be, nor are they where a lot of us think they ought to be."

Mason also added that King took a bold leap when asking for change.

"It took courage to tell people that (change) is not going to be easy."

Along with the community celebration of King's life, the members of Omega Psi Phi honored local community members with Keeper of the Dream awards.

Jason Dean, assistant dean of students and honoree, said he felt proud to be associated with the greek system.

"Being the greek advisor, it's a hard way to make a living, but (with this award) it made me believe what I'm doing," Dean said. "I feel a renowned sense of respect."

Other members of the community included Roean Houstan, who said she was excited to receive such an honor.

Jason Payne, senior and the keeper of finance for Omega Psi Phi, said he was proud of the large turnout.