Durham Tech celebrates 40th year of honoring MLK’s legacy

Forty years ago, Durham Tech employees held a celebration to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. What started as a potluck between just a few people from the admissions office has grown into a large-scale celebration that reflects the College’s commitment to diversity and civil rights. 

“From potluck to an auditorium filled with people,” said Terra Pegram Bikah, chairperson of the event and assistant director of curriculum development, assessment and compliance. “We even have two service projects this year because of our growth. It is good to give back where we can as part of the King legacy. It is also about the details of a large event like this. We had to do it right with it being our 40th anniversary and our committee came through and worked diligently. Each one of the committee members cared.” 

Dorothy Brower, one of the original members of the potluck group, said “one would wonder how this event has sustained itself. Dr. King and other civil rights leaders were our heroes. Many of us were former students in poorly funded segregated schools, were not allowed to use the ‘nice’ waiting rooms in our doctors’ offices, were subjected to other forms of discrimination in our communities and marched for voting and equal rights. It is believed that the fight for equal rights for African Americans gave energy to the fights for women’s and gay rights movements. Dr. King gave his life for these and other causes.” 

To begin the celebration, Durham Tech’s MLK choir entered from the back of the auditorium marching and singing. 

“Our marching in is symbolism for the marches that helped the movement for civil rights and that show how we are stronger together,” said Norman Collins, MLK choir director and coordinator for the Apprenticeship Center for Workforce Engagement. “The chosen songs were relevant to Rev. King and his works.” 

 David Long, dean of Creative and Liberal Arts for the College, was the first speaker and shared facts about 1984, the year Durham Tech began celebrating MLK Day, two years before it was nationally observed. 

“Durham Tech chose to recognize and recognize early,” he said. “The day fits in with the core values of our college.” 

Included in the program, four songs from the MLK choir, a video highlighting the history of the celebration and its growth, information on the service projects donations were collected for, the awarding of the I Have a Dream scholarships and keynote speaker Dr. Hilda R. Tompkins. 

Tompkins is a retired educator and trainer who most recently served as a training specialist with Babies Can’t Wait. Before joining BCW, Tompkins was senior director of educational partnerships and initiatives with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Tompkins, a published author, wrote the short story “Daddy” in collaboration with Yolanda D. King. 

Tompkins shared her dissertation and the accompanying “The Making of a Leader.” Throughout her talk, Tompkins brought the conversation back to education and what she says King called “true education” -- intelligence and character. 

Following the keynote speaker, was the presentation of the I Have a Dream Awards, which included for the first time a recipient from the Adult High School program, in addition to a workforce continuing education student and curriculum student. Adamisha Coker, Jodayls Gonzalez-Acevedo and Nevoh Bar IIan each received $250 for their essays to put toward their educations.  

Durham Tech President, J.B. Buxton closed the celebration, starting with “today you know you are exactly where you are meant to be.” Buxton reiterated the history of Durham Tech’s MLK celebration and how all in attendance were now a part of that history. 

“We were two years ahead of state and county in celebrating Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. And that is no surprise because of our commitment to diversity and equity,” Buxton said. 

Attendees were invited to lunch in the college’s multipurpose room. A lunch that started with a few people from one department sharing potluck now welcomed close to 150 people from various departments sharing a catering lunch provided by the college cafe. All coming together to celebrate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his enduring legacy.