MLK March on West brings history to life for Phoenix-area middle schoolers
An Arizona State University tradition since 1991, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. March on West Valley happens each January to honor the activist’s legacy and the historical significance of the 1963 March on Washington.
This year’s Jan. 22 event invited 14 Phoenix-area middle schools to ASU’s West Valley campus, where the students experienced educational presentations about the history of the civil rights movement. Before gathering to hear the inspirational rendition of Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech, students held up a variety of handmade, anti-discrimination signs as they walked through the university campus to the sound of beating drums.
Dr. Akua Duku Anokye, associate professor of Africana Language, Literature and Culture for ASU’s School of Humanity Arts and Cultural Studies, kicked off the event and shared the theme for 2025 — spaces we belong.
“Where do we belong? That's the question. Where do we belong?” Dr. Anokye asked the crowd. “Everywhere. We belong in every space, it's our right to be in those spaces. We choose and take advantage of every opportunity. If we are to realize the dream, stand up and take your place.”
Supporting Dr. Anokye’s remarks, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, executive director at ASU Gammage and vice president of cultural affairs, spoke to the young crowd about the importance of servant leadership.
“Dr. King said, ‘He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant.’ You are all servant leaders.” Jennings-Roggensack said. “You are an example of what our present and our future looks like, and we are depending on all of you.”
Jennings-Roggensack, who serves as the chair for the ASU MLK committee, went on to describe the university’s commitment to celebrating the work of Martin Luther King Jr., going beyond events like the March on West.
“We do a myriad of things, including recognizing young people from kindergarten all the way up to high school with their stories of what it means to be a servant leader. We also recognize community leaders, student leaders, faculty leaders and staff leaders,” she said.
Before the speech kicked off, the audience enjoyed James “Rambo” Smith’s rendition of the US national anthem and the Black national anthem. Smith, also known as the singing fireman, serves on ASU’s MLK committee, and he was honored as the first to perform the national anthem at the Mullet Hockey Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
The iconic “I Have a Dream” speech was led by Charles St. Clair, ASU's fine arts specialist and four-time Emmy award winner, who was honored this year with the 2025 ASU MLK Jr. Faculty Servant-Leadership Award.
“I felt honored, yet humbled by the title ASU MLK Jr. Faculty Servant-Leadership Award,” St. Clair said. “Dr. King was such a great leader and great example to me in my life as someone who listened and was led by the spirit of a higher power.”
St. Clair was joined on stage for the speech by Reverend Dr. Dontá McGilvery, recipient of the 2019 MLK Jr. Student Leadership Award and the first Black male to earn a PhD in theater from Arizona State University.
Together, McGilvery and St. Clair spoke the powerful words first uttered by Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington D.C. 62 years ago.
“Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all God's children. It would be fatal for this nation to overlook the urgency of the moment,” the two recited.
After the speech concluded, the students cheered and waved their handmade signs in support. Before the students were released to enjoy post-speech pizza, Todd Sandrin, ASU West Valley’s vice provost and dean of the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, remarked on the importance of remembering the work of Martin Luther King Jr.
“We've spent this time together remembering a giant, truly a change agent of epic proportions,” Sandrin said. “We've been inspired and moved by a man who dared to dream of a world where justice and love prevail. Dr. King's voice resonated deeply here today at ASU's West Valley campus with the power of hope.”