January 21, 2014 | Bret Eckhardt - UConn Communications

A Tribute to the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The UConn community celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday through speeches, song, and video.

Shaelle Etienne '14, sings Etta James's 'At Last' during the Martin Luther King Day celebration in the Student Union Theatre on Jan. 20, 2014. (Bret Eckhardt/UConn Photo)

Shaelle Etienne '14, sings Etta James's 'At Last' during the Martin Luther King Day celebration in the Student Union Theatre on Jan. 20, 2014. (Bret Eckhardt/UConn Photo)

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vrW_RX1L4M’]

Shaelle Etienne ’14, sings Etta James’s ‘At Last’ during the Martin Luther King Day celebration in the Student Union Theatre on Jan. 20, 2014. (Bret Eckhardt/UConn Photo)

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The UConn community celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through speeches, song, and video at a ceremony Monday in the Student Union Theatre, hosted by the African American Cultural Center.

Speakers included Willena Price, director of the African American Cultural Center, University President Susan Herbst, and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-2nd District).

The keynote speaker was William Jelani Cobb, associate professor of history and director of the Institute for African American Studies, who spoke on the theme, “What Happens When Change Happens?” Watch a video of Cobb’s lecture.

The event included the screening of a video by Kathryn Bailey ’17 advocating for positive change, musical performances by the Hartford High School Choir and UConn undergraduate Shaelle Etienne, and spoken word performances by undergraduates Devin Samuels, Zach Johnson, and Shantel Honeyghan, and culminated in a candlelight vigil, with participants singing “We Shall Overcome.”