On a cold morning last month, members of the Bridgewater community celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a march through town. Bridgewater College’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day celebration was held in partnership with the town of Bridgewater.
A crowd of several hundred BC students and employees, along with Bridgewater community members, gathered at Oakdale Park. The event began with opening remarks from BC Chaplain Rev. Emily Miller, BC student speakers, Bridgewater Mayor Ted Flory and BC President Dr. David Bushman.
Many were bundled in BC colors, athletes wore their team jerseys and people chattered in anticipation until student speakers opened the celebration with quotes from the late civil rights activist.
African Student Association Secretary Saron Enyew ’26, a biochemistry and psychology major, followed with a keynote address that drew on King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. She opened her speech with a question for the group, “What is your dream?” After a moment of pause for the audience to reflect, she urged audience members to fight for King’s dream of equality with the same fierceness they use for their own dreams.
“The sprint may be over, but our marathon continues. Now it’s our turn to keep running and to keep fighting,” she said.
Enyew concluded by challenging participants to march “not just for the culture, but for the fight that allowed us to keep walking long after he did.”
Before the group started the march through downtown to the BC campus, Bushman spoke to the attentive crowd. He encouraged everyone to recognize the strength in joining together as a community and to use their education, as Dr. King did, for authentic human good.
“It is more important than ever to celebrate this day and continue this journey,” he said.
As the group walked through the center of town, North Main Street traffic paused to make way for the large crowd. During the walk, participants reflected on the opening speeches and the words of King.
BC football player Jalen Jones ’28, accompanied by his teammates and friends, said this event was a good chance for the team to do something meaningful together.
For many participants, the MLK celebration and march is a yearly event. Dean of the Coffman School Phil Spickler attends every year to reflect on his memories as a child during King’s lifetime. He said the event is a nice way for the community to show what they believe in.
Kiya Whitaker ’25, BC Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Coordinator, shared how seeing people come together for this event made her feel hopeful despite the darkness she sees. Enyew’s message to continue fighting for King’s dream resonated with Whitaker, she said.
“I wanted to do something for the community,” she said.
– Rosie Clark ’26
2/9/26
