By Tyler Larson

January 18, 2008 | More than 100 people gathered to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King with a candle light vigil Thursday night in the TSC.

"To talk about race, to talk about oppression, to talk about discrimination takes courage," said Raymond L. Scott, an assistant professor of psychology at La Vern University, during his presentation before the vigil.

"King may have started out working with African Americans, but his vision was much broader than that, " Scott said.

"Dr. Kings vision was really for all people, and that included those who were oppressed, as well as the oppressor," He said.

"Racism is shown to negatively impact the oppressor, not just the oppressed," Scott said. King helped African Americans gain rights, but also helped lead that way for many other groups including the gay and lesbian movement and revised the second wave women's rights movement, he said, A whole host of movements where given rise out of the civil rights movement.

"The people were finding a voice, and it was a voice that they could then use to march in protest, so that they could then challenge the power structures as they were presented at the time," Scott said. Despite what King has done for America, Scott said, there is still racism.

"There is a two-racial system in this country," he said. "There are people of color and whites."

Scott said, America has created and "us versus them" mentality, but he thinks it's far too general; it's not as simple as black and white. He went on to say the distribution of resources has never been equal in America as well.

"In the end, oppression is simply and un-equal distribution of power," he said, "through this, one group is allowed access to these privileges, and the other is not."

Scott said he recommends people learn about race and to have strength to recognize the ignorance there is in America and to talk about it.

"The bottom line is we have to live together," Scott said. "We have to relate to one another."

After Scott's presentation, candles were lit and the vigil was lead across campus to the block A near Old Main.

The Black Student Union holds the event yearly.

PEACEFUL TUNE: Quacee Dorby sings This Little Light of Mine to the vigil audience after returning to the TSC. Others joined in singing and clapping. BELOW, two people attending the vigil pass the flame, and Raymond L. Scott, who spoke earlier, walks cupping his hand over his candle to protect it from the
wind./ Photos by Tyler Larson