NPHC unites to celebrate MLK

As the country came together for Martin Luther King Day, some of Truman's fraternities and sororities did as well.

Truman's National Pan-Hellenic Council, which governs all historically black fraternities and sororities on campus, organized the MLK Memorial Project, a series of events from Jan. 22 to 24, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Senior Cameron Poole, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated and NPHC, said being part of the NPHC council is different than being part of a Greek organization. Poole said he appreciates that the council unites various Greek organizations in a common goal and creates a sense of community.

"All the Greek organizations in the NPHC have fewer members, which makes us more cohesive than larger councils, enabling us to work with each other efficiently," Poole said. "We also have a lot of internal events, which makes us close-knit and it is easier to work within ourselves."

The MLK Memorial Project kicked off with a viewing and discussion of the "I Have A Dream" speech. NPHC president senior Maurice Mathis said attendees watched the entire speech before discussing the six major themes of the speech and answering questions.

Mathis said the event was not directly tied to President Obama's inauguration.

Sophomore Kapris Clark, a member of the Association of Black Collegians, said she enjoyed the discussion, especially in the context of the current political situation.

"This week is very important ­­-especially in black history, and the people were not afraid to say what they wanted to say," Clark said.

Both Poole and Clark said they had never watched the full "I Have A Dream" speech, so this was a good opportunity for them not only to watch the speech but to better understand it and hear different viewpoints.

Clark said many of the group's questions prompted elaborate discussion. She said it led the group to think about how black history relates to present-day events and how America still is isolating minorities.

"As a psychology major, it was interesting to see how certain people feel about certain topics and how they react to it," Clark said. "There were different people from different types of backgrounds and they had different views [about] the same questions. Each and every person had something different to say."