Silhouette

Issue date: 1/18/07 Section: Lifestyles

Straight from the soul: During the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, Eldred King, Thomaston, Ga., belts out the notes in the song "Praise is What I Do".

A small woman in a bright red suit standing just over 5 foot tall walked on the stage of the Pauline Joyce Fine Arts building auditorium last Monday. She faced a jam-packed auditorium without an empty seat, people sitting in isles and even on the stage behind her with a look in her eye similar to that of a stand-up comedian determined to get a reaction.

The woman was Nikki Giovanni who was at GCCC to give a speech in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. She spoke about her experiences with the Civil Rights Movement, and Rosa Parks while illustrating through her children's picture book called Rosa.

The day dedicated to celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was sponsored by the Black Student Union (BSU), Student Government Association, the Cultural relations board of Garden City, Student Support services, and Garden City community College.

The day was kicked of with an introduction from BSU member Benjamin Bell. Followed by a welcome by Clayton Tatro.

"Dr. King's birthday is truly an American holiday, that celebrates dignity for every member of our society," Tatro said.

Next, the Second Baptist Church Choir sang two Musical selections. Followed by an inspirational solo sang by Eldred King.

"I really loved the singing and seeing. BSU did a great job in bringing a good speaker, the event was well organized and I really enjoyed it. It was a great day," Kiley Luckett, Garden City, said.

Then Giovanni took the stage. An author, poet, essayist and professor at Virginia Tech. Publishing her first book in the sixties, she remains one of America's most distinguished and widely read Authors.

She entertained the crowd with a series of historical anecdotes mixed with the perfect blend of humor that was delivered in an intense and straight forward fashion.

"…To be a man of your times in the 1900s was to lynch a man, woman and child on the average of once a week…No one should be a man of his time and we thank god that Rosa Parks was not a woman of her times," Giovanni said.

Giovanni left a lasting impression on her audience, which reacted, to her speech with loud applause on several occasions.

"I thought she was a very good speaker, she had a good presentation. I wish she would have talked more about Martin Luther King instead of Rosa Parks, but it was still a great experience," Luckett said.

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