Colorado State University held an event in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 20. The celebration blended reflection, service and community engagement. The event, which attracted students, community members and staff, focused on encouraging attendees to actively engage in service to honor King’s legacy of social justice, equality and community empowerment.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day — celebrated on the third Monday of January each year — honors the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., a pivotal figure in the American civil rights movement. The day commemorates his leadership in advocating for racial equality, nonviolent protest and social justice.

King is best remembered for his leadership during the Montgomery bus boycott and his transformative “I Have a Dream” speech during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, in which he called for equal civil and economic rights for all Americans.

MLK Day at CSU typically begins with a march onto campus where the program starts, but the march was canceled due to severe cold weather, and the program was instead held inside. It began with a performance by New Bloodline, a student performance group. CSU President Amy Parsons followed, speaking about the importance of Martin Luther King Jr.

“In order to lead with culture, we need to spend time getting to know each other, and I think that’s the next step in the process: Spend some time getting to know each other’s culture, where we’re from and how we were raised. And then that’ll help us understand why people think the way they do and help us decide how to move forward with all these varying experiences.” –Duan Ruff, CSU SLiCE director

“I think he’s such an inspiration of hope, and celebrating him on a day like today gives the opportunity for the whole community to come together,” Parsons said. “You look around today, and we have current students, prospective students, alumni and people from all over the community.”

Following Parsons’ speech, Mayor Jeni Arndt read a proclamation that recognized the holiday. After the seated portion of the program, community engagement spaces and Day of Service sorting began.

Participants were then invited to engage in a collaborative mural dubbed “The Peoples’ Canvas” and write letters to representatives.

Attendees were also able to separate clothes and create boxes that would be donated to Homeward Alliance.

Duan Ruff, CSU Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement director, said he believes in the importance of bridging cultural divides.

“I think we need to stop trying to live through this paradigm where we lead with race and instead lead with culture,” Ruff said. “In order to lead with culture, we need to spend time getting to know each other, and I think that’s the next step in the process: Spend some time getting to know each other’s culture, where we’re from and how we were raised. And then that’ll help us understand why people think the way they do and help us decide how to move forward with all these varying experiences.”

Ruff’s words highlighted the importance of empathy and mutual understanding as key tools in addressing social issues and creating a more inclusive community — one in line with King’s vision of equality and unity.

This event is a tradition to kick off the year at CSU and is valued by many. In addition to the program and events held at CSU, numerous other activities took place throughout the community to honor and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The City of Fort Collins hosted a townwide candlelight vigil in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and each library featured lobby displays of books by and about King and those inspired by his work in civil rights and social justice. The city also provided a website on Black history in Fort Collins.

In addition to service projects, the Lory Student Center had educational displays and resources about Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy. Students who attended the events throughout the day expressed a sense of renewal and purpose.

“(Martin Luther King Jr. is) a very important figure in my life,” said Taliyah Whittaker, a performer in New Bloodline. “He means a lot, like, being able to be in school with kids that look different from me — he’s the reason to me that I’m able to do that.”

As students, faculty and community members left the day’s activities, they did so with a renewed sense of commitment to the ideals of equity, inclusion and service that King championed throughout his life.

Reach Riley Paling at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @rileypaling.