A banner from WCC to promote the MLK Day discussion panel. | Washtenaw Community College
by RUBY GO
Staff Writer
Speakers at WCC’s annual MLK celebration voiced hope and concern for the future of racial equity.
WCC’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion hosted a Zoom event on Thursday to honor the legacy of civil rights activist and leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There were a number of speakers in attendance, including WCC’s President, Rose Bellanca; Michigan Representative, Debbie Dingell; and Victoria Burton-Harris,Chief Assistant Prosecutor for Washtenaw County, as the keynote speaker, as well as students from WCC’s Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP).
“Dr. King emphasized how important unconditional love and a nonviolent approach is…to achieving a world in which justice and equity is present for all,” Bellanca said.
The theme of the event was “becoming a beloved community,” where people of all races and backgrounds have access to the same opportunities. King often incorporated this message into his speeches. However, it is not to be misinterpreted as a utopian ideal where “lions and lambs coexist.” Instead, King viewed it as a realistic goal that would help put an end to racial discrimination and violence.
“I can’t think of a more critical time (than now) to think about the lessons that (King) taught us,” Dingell said.
Dingell explained that, while it is important to celebrate King’s accomplishments, there is still progress to be made in the world of equity. She cited the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, a proposed legislation that would strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as an example. The bill has already passed through the House of Representatives, and it has the support of all Democratic and Independent members of the Senate, according to NBC News. However, without the support of ten Republicans, the bill is “likely to fail.”
“We are still living in a time of uncertainty and divisiveness. I think it’s harder than it’s been in my lifetime to advance the ideas that Dr. King taught us,” Dingell said.
Dingell met King when she was in high school, where King gave a speech. She recalled being notified by her teachers of where the nearest exit was, in case anything went awry during the speech. But what she remembered most about that day was the hatred that some felt towards King, as well as “the love.” She said she felt a responsibility to fight for her community and “for what was right,” and she encourages today’s young generations to do the same.
“I’m begging all of you to read Dr. King’s words, to learn from his life…you’ve gotta help us bring people together,” she said.
Burton-Harris shared similar sentiments as Dingell in her speech. She began by sharing her criticisms of the criminal justice system.
“We have a thriving criminal legal system that responds to violence with violence, responds with retribution instead of empathy and sustainable solutions. There is no justice in our criminal injustice system,” she said. “It swallows marginalized people alive.”
Burton-Harris believes that much change is needed in order to stop the country’s trend of injustice and achieve King’s vision of a “beloved community.” She reiterates King’s message that if there is injustice on one side of town, there is injustice on the other side, too.
“We cannot afford to think in terms of ‘us versus them.’ We are all we have,” she said.
CRP Students
Also during the event, two students from the CRP shared their stories of recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.
Joshua Truchan, one of the students, dropped out of Wayne State University’s Honors College ten years ago. Then 19-years-old, he was addicted to heroin and had been through three rounds of in-patient substance abuse treatment. Out of fear of judgment, Truchan says he was reluctant to reach out to the university for help. His issues with addiction began in high school, where he would smoke marijuana and drink alcohol on a regular basis.
“I thought it placed me into a level above my peers, like I had found the secret to fully experiencing life,” he said.
Despite his addiction, Truchan was able to maintain good grades and ranked third in his high school graduating class. Consequently, while his family continued to believe he was doing fine, Truchan’s issues with substance abuse grew worse. He became “obsessed” with using drugs to suppress his emotions.
“It was my escape,” he said.
After dropping out of Wayne State, Truchan worked a “dead end restaurant job” for a few years as he continued to struggle with his addiction. Truchan eventually decided to attempt treatment again, upon numerous requests from his family to do so. The treatment center encouraged Truchan to get involved with the local recovery community, where he found a sense of belonging.
Truchan began to form relationships with others in recovery, and his self-confidence grew as a result.
“Our common goal of sobriety helped to unify us and put aside (our) differences,” he said.
Now, Truchan aspires to join the medical field, and he has applied to the University of Michigan’s nursing program.
“I am now able to hold my head up high when I say that I am a person in recovery,” he said.
Jasmine Bryant, the second CRP student, spoke about her journey as a recovering alcoholic. Like Truchan, Bryant attended Wayne State about six years ago, but dropped out due to her addiction.
“While I was there, I participated in my education the way I experienced most things: like an island,” Bryant said.
From an early age, Bryant has dealt with feelings of shame because of what she has been told about her characteristics, such as her complexion and mental health struggles. With these feelings of shame being coupled with severe social anxiety, Bryant sought out some form of relief, which she found with alcohol.
“I developed a physical and emotional dependance on the substance,” she said.
However, Bryant struggled to understand that she was in need of help. She felt that as a young Black woman, she should be “assertive and confident,” because that was how she viewed other young Black women. Eventually, though, she found herself in her first in-patient rehabilitation center. Despite her expectations that it wouldn’t make a difference, Bryant says that it showed her “what it felt like to be a part of a community.”
“I began to feel that I could do what I thought was impossible for me: go back to school,” she said.
When she was new to WCC, Bryant only intended to earn a degree so she could start a career. However, when she noticed a link to WCC’s CRP in her teacher’s Blackboard page, she decided to join. Looking forward, she aspires to work with young people as a guidance counselor.
“I hope to pass on Dr. King’s preachings to the next generation. I hope that by showing love, understanding, and encouragement to all young people they may…grow up with the self-esteem necessary to continue building our beloved community worldwide,” she said.
If you are interested in joining the CRP, contact CRP Coordinator Teresa Herzog at therzog@wccnet.edu.
