Gov. Snyder visits CommUNITY Peace March and Vigil, calls for students to ‘carry on’

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The vision and dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. was carried through Mount Pleasant on Monday.

The annual CommUNITY Peace March and Vigil commenced according to plan in the afternoon, including appearances from Gov. Rick Snyder and University President George Ross, despite the 21 degree weather and blowing snow. The Minority Student Office hosted the event and reported about 450 people marched in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Ricardo White, a Detroit junior and president of CMU’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, helped carry the NAACP banner in the march, saying King heavily impacted the organization’s voting rights and housing rights movements in the South and North respectively.

“There were more groups that worked with Dr. King but NAACP was the biggest group because it was the most notable,” White said. “The work that Dr. King did for the NAACP when he was alive really was a big deal and we have to continue that correlation between Dr. King and NAACP.”

Thirteen-year-old Mount Pleasant resident Sierra Snyder listens to speakers at the Martin Luther King, Jr. CommUNITY Peace March and Vigil Monday afternoon. (Photo by Andrew Kuhn/Staff Photographer)

The march ended at the corner of Broadway and Main streets, where a vigil was held. Ross and Rick Snyder each spoke about King’s legacy.

“We will create an environment for our young people to stay in the state and flourish. We want you here. We need you here,” Snyder said. “So let’s go out and live that legacy and go to work.”

Detroit freshman Ajanae Ruffin said she was thankful for the wonderful attitude that the marchers had to brave the snow.

“I think it was nice to see how a country that has had so many problems has evolved into such a diverse audience like we had in the crowd,” Ruffin said. “It’s nice to see what we’re coming to.”

Convenient visit

According to a source from Snyder’s office, the governor’s primary reason for being in Mount Pleasant was not to deliver his MLK speech, which lasted for about 3 minutes, but was something that “fit into his schedule.” The source was unable to give any further information on Snyder’s whereabouts Monday.

In a prior interview with CM Life, Steve Smith, director of public relations, said the governor did not come to town solely for CMU’s MLK events.

“(Snyder) is going to be in the area on some other business and said this would be a great opportunity to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Smith said.

Angel Hall, a Detroit freshman, said she was suprised to see Snyder at the vigil.

“I’m glad to see he came out here to support us and give us inspiration,” Hall said. “I would have never thought that he would have come.”

Snyder said he was happy to see students not using the holiday as a day off, but instead a day to give back.

“For you to come out in this weather and march on a cause that we need to carry on, we need to keep doing that … its a very personal thing,” the governor said.

He said King’s altruism inspired his own desire to seek public office, and forced him to ask himself what he does for others.