Bakari Sellers speaks at Clemson University’s 42nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Keynote Program on Tuesday. The civil rights activist spoke of the progress of civil rights movements throughout the years.
Photo by Caleb Gilbert
CLEMSON — A former politician and ongoing civil rights activist headlined Clemson University’s 42nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Keynote Program on Tuesday night.
Former state Rep. Bakari Sellers, who became both the youngest member of the state legislature and the youngest black person in the country to become an elected official when he was elected in 2006, was the night’s keynote speaker.
Sellers asked the audience two simple questions — How far have we come, and where do we go from here?
The civil rights activist spoke of the triumphs and progress of civil rights movements throughout the years, but reminded the audience there is still progress to be made.
“You recognize that I came here today and I don’t have the answers, but I have the guideposts. Which means that you have to love your neighbor even when they don’t love you. You have to be willing to dream with your eyes open. And then you get to that destination of excellence,” Sellers said.
Tuesday’s program at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts also included remarks by university President Jim Clements and a performance by the Clemson University gospel choir. Anthony Mitchell, president of the Pi Alpha Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, highlighted the history and purpose of the university’s MLK programs before a presentation of MLK Excellence in Service awards.
