The “beloved community” was invoked frequently Monday, as members of the Michigan Technological University community met at several events to celebrate and reflect on King’s legacy and how to keep it alive in the present.

The keynote speaker for Monday’s MLK Day brunch, author Schwartzen Precil, helped create a day of service for MLK Day at Finlandia University during his days as a student.

He’d worked to bring that about as part of addressing racial tensions he’d encountered while leader of the Black Student Union president at Finlandia.

His response had been to “get more curious than I was furious,” he said, sitting down with community leaders and organizing letter-writing campaigns to get more diversity and representation on campus.

The MTU Workshop Big Band plays at the start of an interfaith prayer vigil held as part of Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations at Michigan Technological University Monday. (Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette)

“As a 21-year-old college student, I believe I made a difference,” he said. “You can all be that difference maker today if you focus solely on the beloved community. And it might come with its challenges of not being liked. But the focus … should be on how we stand together for the greater good, looking for the good people.”

Following Precil’s speech, the MTU chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers presented its annual Bayard Rustin Award, named in honor of the ’60s civil rights organizer who aided more high-profile leaders and given to a faculty or staff member helping make strides behind the scenes.

This year’s recipient was Robert Handler, assistant professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Tech.

One of his nominators described him as “a remarkable mentor, combining sustainability expertise with commitment to students’ growth.”

Monday’s brunch was also used to celebrate another campus leader. Handler announced the annual scholarship awarded by NSBE and the Society of Intellectual Sisters has been renamed in honor of Bre Wakeham,

“She had a passion for Michigan Tech students, dedicating much of her time to encouraging their service to campus and the greater community, a trait that was especially evident through her role as the advisor to the Black Students Association,” Handler said.

“She let her friends and community live more sustainable lives through her example in her own life and her new calling, running Refill U.P., a store that focused on sustainable products. Bre Wakeham lived her values, led by example and did so with kindness.”

At the interfaith vigil following Monday’s brunch, faith leaders and members of the Tech community performed songs like “We Shall Overcome,” read excerpts from King’s writing and reflected on his legacy.

Wayne Gersie, Tech’s vice president for engagement and belonging, read a passage from King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” in which King emphasized that “injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“These words from Dr. King remind me of a fundamental truth: We are all connected,” he said. “…In today’s world, injustices like economic inequality, mass incarceration and environmental challenges remind us that Dr. King’s words remain as urgent as ever, but within this university community, we are all equipped with tools to address these challenges — knowledge, collaboration and innovation. If we use these tools for the collective good, we can foster community rooted in empathy, understanding and justice.”

Brett Hamilton, a fifth-year electrical engineering student, said he had come to the vigil to get exposure to new perspectives from the community and celebrate King’s life.

“His legacy is that justice and equality … is an ongoing battle that requires diligence,” he said.

“It doesn’t just come easy.”