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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Wilkes University on Thursday commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an event called &#8220;Do The Right Thing.&#8221;</p><p>The quote from Dr. King, which came during a commencement speech in 1965 at Oberlin College in Ohio, set the tone for the program held in the Henry Student Center, attended by about 100 students, faculty and visitors.</p><p>Sponsored in collaboration with the Campus Interfaith office and Diversity Affairs, the event theme drew from a famous King sermon where he stated: &#8220;The time is always right to do what is right.&#8221;</p><p>The keynote speaker was Rosana Reyes, vice president of enrollment management and student development at Luzerne County Community College.</p><p>Reyes talked about Dr. King and his famous speech, &#8220;Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution.&#8221; She said the speech offered four challenges to the students.</p><p>Reyes said King told the students that we all live in one neighborhood, but we must become one brotherhood. He also said he wanted them to help rid the world of poverty and hunger. Reyes said King&#8217;s third challenge was to find alternatives to war and bloodshed. His final challenge was to eradicate racial injustice.</p><p>&#8220;For Dr. King, it was always the right time to do the right thing,&#8221; Reyes said. &#8220;Some of Dr. King&#8217;s challenges continue today. I would ask what does your conscience tell you?&#8221;</p><p>Reyes went on to say that the Founding Fathers said in the Declaration of Independence that &#8220;all men are created equal.&#8221; She said Dr. King said &#8220;that statement wasn&#8217;t just a theory.&#8221;</p><p>Wilkes President Patrick Leahy noted the university closed to observe Martin Luther King Day. He also cited one of his favorite Dr. King quotes.</p><p>&#8220;Dr. King said if you can&#8217;t fly, run; if you can&#8217;t run, walk; if you can&#8217;t walk, crawl &#8212; but by all means, keep moving,&#8221; Leahy said. &#8220;If the best days of this community are ahead of us, then by all means, keep moving.&#8221;</p><p>Erica Acosta, Associate Director of Diversity Affairs at Wilkes, closed the program, referencing again Dr. King&#8217;s message of &#8220;the time is always right to do what is right.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Do it for your families, communities and for your country,&#8221; said Acosta. &#8220;We know at times that doing the right thing might not be popular, but doing what is right is what sets us apart. We need to have respect for one another even when we do not agree with each other.&#8221;</p><p>The national anthem and the Black National Anthem were performed by Wilkes students. The invocation was given by Kristin Osipower, interfaith coordinator at Wilkes. Wilkes student Abie Pessima read a poem from Maya Angelou, and the Wilkes African Cultural Association performed a dance.</p><p>The event was rescheduled from earlier in the week due to weather.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Members of the Wilkes African Cultural Association Mmachi Dimoriaku, center, Imani Claudine, left, and Caleb Ofori perform a variety of Afrobeat and Nigerian folk dances at Wilkes University&#8217;s Henry Student Center to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-MLK-2.jpeg</photo0><caption0>Members of the Wilkes African Cultural Association Mmachi Dimoriaku, center, Imani Claudine, left, and Caleb Ofori perform a variety of Afrobeat and Nigerian folk dances at Wilkes University&#8217;s Henry Student Center to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-MLK-3.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">Keynote speaker Rosana Reyes, of Luzerne County Community College, speaks to a crowd during a Thursday ceremony celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Wilkes University&#8217;s Henry Student Center. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-MLK-3.jpeg</photo1><caption1>Keynote speaker Rosana Reyes, of Luzerne County Community College, speaks to a crowd during a Thursday ceremony celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Wilkes University&#8217;s Henry Student Center. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-MLK-4.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">Abel Adekola, dean of Wilkes University&#8217;s Sidhu School of Business, bows his head in prayer at the school&#8217;s Henry Student Center in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-MLK-4.jpeg</photo2><caption2>Abel Adekola, dean of Wilkes University&#8217;s Sidhu School of Business, bows his head in prayer at the school&#8217;s Henry Student Center in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-MLK-1.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">President of the Wilkes African Cultural Association, Mmachi Dimoriaku, 20, sings the national anthem to begin a Thursday event at Wilkes University&#8217;s Henry Student Center to honor civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-MLK-1.jpeg</photo3><caption3>President of the Wilkes African Cultural Association, Mmachi Dimoriaku, 20, sings the national anthem to begin a Thursday event at Wilkes University&#8217;s Henry Student Center to honor civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. </caption3><photoCredit3>Sean McKeag | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

‘Do The Right Thing’: Wilkes students urged to follow Dr. King’s message