Texas College students wrote their dreams on a banner for a ceremony on campus in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. on Thursday Jan. 11, 2018 in Tyler. The ceremony advances Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday that is held on the third Monday of January each year. Texas College is an accredited historically black four-year college located in Tyler. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The Texas College Stampede Band pumped up the campus as students holding signs marched to the Steer Walk as part of an early Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. The federal holiday celebrating the civil rights leader is Monday.

The signs portrayed messages including: “Power to the People”, “Fight On,” “You’re Next” and “We Shall Overcome.”

The student-organized event on Thursday featured the college’s male ensemble concert choir, reflections by student leaders and closing remarks from President Dr. Dwight Fennell.

Fennell was intrigued with the student’s tenacity to put the event together.

“I am so appreciative,” he said. “I thought it was meaningful and appropriate and I thought it added some uplift so that it is not just a sad occasion, but also a celebratory type of occasion. We wanted the student leaders to get involved in terms of doing some of the research and making presentations to the general public, but we wanted the campus body to know as well.”

Fennell said taking a step back to embrace the full meaning of the holiday is important to not only the community, but also the students.

“It means a great deal,” Fennell said. “It means bringing a recognition for a man who did so much for so many lives and so many communities that our students need to know about it. To me it’s not the day that matters it is the fact that you give homage at a time that is respectful of what is about to take place and that is the official celebration of the date.”

Fennell not only remembered the contributions of King, but also acknowledged the work and presence of God in history.

“We wanted to pause for a moment and in doing so we also want to say thank you to God,” he said. “Thank you for allowing this institution. We realize that couldn’t be done by us alone. “

Student government president Christian Gooden recited MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech as a part of the ceremony.

“It felt great to celebrate especially at a historically black institution,” Gooden said. “It was my first time celebrating here as SGA president so it felt great doing it. It was overall great, and to hear my other peers some of them I didn’t even know could speak so well and they sounded so beautiful.”

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