CMU students honor Martin Luther King Jr. through dance, songs, poetry
Reaction Dance team performing a routine in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Mission Impossible event on Jan. 28. (Keara Banks | CM Life)
Mission Possible: A Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Showcase presented an array of student performers and their interpretation of the words and goals of Martin Luther King on Jan. 28 in the Bovee University Center.
Marayla Cross and Jillian Matryorauta planned and emceed the event with the Multicultural Academic Student Services.
“This event shows a bunch of different performers, different talents ... and gives them a space to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Cross said. “Because his legacy is so important, and we really just wanted to emphasize that. I thought it'd be a great place to give people the space to do that."
Cross and Matryorauta said the theme of the event this year was called "Mission Possible," which focused on protecting freedom, justice and democracy in the spirit of nonviolence.
“The theme is intended not only to honor Dr. King's unwavering dedication to justice and equality through non-violent action, but also to uphold the idea that together we can make his mission possible in 2025 and beyond,” Matryorauta said.
The event included a Reaction Dance team performance, CMU Chamber Singers singing "We shall walk through the valley in peace," the CMU Jazz Collective performing their own piece and Ashley Adams reading poetry.
Ballet Folklorico de la Luz, a student organization on campus, performed La Danza de Los Diablos (Dance of the Devils).
President Nikolai Araujo-Pedroza said the dance is a ritual to the God Ruja, who was asked for help to free the slaves from their harsh working conditions and is a manifestation of the customs and traditions that Afro-descendants had to otherwise repress.
“Dance of the Devils is a traditional Afro-Mexican dance that originated during the colonial period in the coastal regions of Oaxaca and Guerrero,” Araujo-Pedroza said. “It is a celebration of Afro-Mexican culture and Indigenous identity.
"Art is a peaceful form of protest, and the Dance of the Devils is a dance of protest and rebellion."
Carolina Hernandez Ruiz, a Central Michigan University student and runner-up contestant for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Scholarship spoke to the group about how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had an impact on her life and journey.
“As an international student, I have always admired the United States for its character, the resilience and determination of its people,” Hernandez Ruiz said. “This is not simply a land where dreams come true. It is a place where character is shaped and tested. Here I have built my character.
"Dr. King's legacy reminds us that action is the bridge between vision and impact," she said. "No matter how powerful your ideals or how strong your intentions are, change requires courage and commitment."
