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February 2008 GW Remembers Martin Luther King Jr., Honors Six with Awards
By Julia Parmley The GW community paid tribute to the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of events in late January. On Jan. 22, staff, faculty, and students gathered in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom to honor the recipients of the 2008 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards. This year’s student winners are Shannon Holmes, Nikki Lane, Whitney McGuire, Collin Stevenson, and James Zarsadiaz. James A. Miller, professor of English and American studies, is the faculty award winner. The honorees were selected by the Martin Luther King Jr. Award Committee for their exceptional commitment to service and their embodiment of the values that King represented. The nomination criteria included dedication to public service, outstanding leadership, and significant contributions to the GW and D.C. communities. Michael Tapscott, director of the Multicultural Student Services Center, says there were more than 50 nominations this year for the awards. Committee members include Marva Gumbs, Karen Ercole, Debra Davis, Tim Miller, Howard Davis, Andre Julien, Bernard Demzcuk, and Tapscott, who serves as chair. At the ceremony, President Steven Knapp thanked the award recipients for their contributions to the University and D.C. community. “Our 2008 award winners have not only worked to educate the GW community about diversity but have served as leaders and role models in the District of Columbia,” he said. “Some have served as mentors to middle and high school students aspiring to attend college. Others have tutored. All inspire us through the role they have played in enriching our living and learning environment here at GW and in the countless hours of public service they have given back to the community within and beyond our campus.” The awards ceremony concluded a University-wide celebration that began on King’s birthday Jan. 15. Organized by the Multicultural Student Services Center, the events included The Rosa Louis Parks/Martin Luther King Jr. Exhibit on Jan. 15 to celebrate King’s birthday and highlight the accomplishments of King and other prominent African Americans. Held in the Marvin Center Great Hall, the exhibit featured posters, news clippings, and photos of notable inventors, educators, and civil rights activists. Also on Jan. 15, Philadelphia-based Key Arts Productions performed “King’s Dream,” a multimedia presentation with live narrative, Gospel, Motown, and protest songs, and film footage about King’s life and work in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom. On Jan. 20, approximately 250 students helped restore the Community for Creative Non-Violence, a nonprofit center in Northwest D.C. for homeless men, women, and children, in honor of the national Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The event was organized by GW’s Office of Community Service, the Multicultural Student Services Center, and Circle K International, a student service organization. “I have never seen any other GW service initiative bring together such a diverse group of students—working side by side—to achieve the common goal of making a difference in the lives of others,” says Director of the Office of Community Service Timothy Kane. Tapscott says he hopes the series of events inspired thought and discussion on King’s work. “I would like young people to think back and reflect on what one of America’s greatest civil rights leaders accomplished during his very short life and what those times were like,” says Tapscott. “Had this man not lived, who knows what the political or racial scene would be now. For people of color, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the foundation of hope and promise we are standing on today.”
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