“Blossoming connections as we plant the seeds of social justice in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” That was the theme of a Community Arts Project on Barry’s MLK Day of Service last month.
Dr. Heidi Heft LaPorte, associate professor of social work, organized and facilitated the post-service project as a guided reflection activity on campus.
Barry students and youth served by Miami’s Gang Alternative took part in the Community Arts Project.
The participants viewed the text of King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” as they listened to the compelling reading in the voices of civil rights activists. Then they wrote words on pods provided – words evoked by the reading of King’s letter.
As LaPorte pointed out, the pods contained symbolic “seeds of life.”
Next, the participants glued the pods with words on a canvas, creating “a single flower of life representing an expansive community of social justice born of love.”
After groups of volunteers engaged in collaborative service at community sites, they got together for lunch provided by the Office of Student Life. Then it was time for reflection.
The participants reflected on inclusivity and social justice in the context of service. As they read one another’s words, they were inspired to write their own.
According to LaPorte, “this very personal and collective experience was an elaboration of the power of being uniquely part of a community coming together in solidarity around the idea of justice in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
LaPorte (pictured at right, in a CCSI file photo) noted that King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was “perhaps the most loving and direct statement response to injustice ever written.” She also explained that the reflection activity was designed “to instill the notion that justice is a seed planted within each of us, germinating when passion inseminates purpose, giving birth to the possibility of transformative change.”
She reminded students of “the power of bringing opportunities to participate in a more-just society by inviting others, who have diverse perspectives and understandings of how to get there, to join the collective effort.”
Barry University marks MLK Day each year on the Saturday preceding the King holiday. In recent years, youth in the Gang Alternative program have been serving alongside Barry students.
Gang Alternative describes itself as “a community-based organization that is grounded in faith with the continuing purpose of preventing violence and delinquency while promoting self-sufficiency.” The organization’s mission is “to build character that lasts in children and families through positive alternatives to crime, violence, dependency, and delinquency by offering a holistic approach to their academic, physical, social, economic, and spiritual development.”
The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) organized MLK Day of Service activities with support from the Major Days of Service Committee. Among committee members who assisted with the day’s events were Mission and Student Engagement staff members Frederique “Freddie” Frage, Genesis Lopez, Kimberly Timpone, and Karen Zuniga.
Asha Starks, an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) member assigned to the CCSI, coordinated MLK Day of Service. Kamilah Van, her counterpart in the Office of Mission Engagement, assisted with project coordination.