Icy bullets of water stung the skin as they pelted down from the dark clouds. The chilly wind was steadfast against the flames that wavered unsteadily on white candlesticks despite the participants’ attempts to keep them going.On Jan. 21, faculty, students, and members of the Greensboro community left the warmth of their residences to huddle together outside Dana Auditorium and light a candle in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“The candlelight vigil is to pay homage to Dr. King, to pay our respects,” explained Jada Drew, Africana Community coordinator and Multicultural Leadership Scholars coordinator, shortly before the vigil began. “He was taken away before his time. So it’s a time to pay respect to his life and the things that he did, and also to pay respect to those who lost their lives during that time.”

The Martin Luther King Candlelight Vigil, sponsored by The Africana Community, was held for Guilford College’s annual Martin Luther King Celebration. Over the week-long event, students assembled to learn about the impact that King had on society through his work with the Civil Rights Movement.

Christina Somerville, junior, expressed her connection to King.

“What he (King) stood for was a way of life that we should live throughout the day. So for me, service and giving back to the community as well as love and compassion is not just a one-day-of-the-year thing.”

The bitter cold of the night was soon forgotten as strangers gathered together to celebrate King’s life through song, led by the Guilford Gospel Group, Greensboro College Gospel Choir, and the New Light Missionary Baptist Women’s Choir.

Following the music, Rev. Cardes H. Brown spoke, stressing the importance of remembering what King gave up to mold the nation that we have today.

The MLK Candlelight Vigil was started to inspire a community effort in honoring King here at Guilford, so that students may take a moment to remember him and the effect that his involvement in the civil rights movement.