MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Service is the best part of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy according to a West Virginia University vice president.
“Dr. King talked a lot about the beloved community,” said David Fryson. “It’s a community where we serve one another. In this time of so much political rancor and disagreement, it is wonderful to have a day where you just serve one another.
Fryson leads the university’s Division of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. He was in Charleston Monday where one group of students was volunteering their time in the city’s west side.
“They’re doing everything from painting to doing actual manual labor to reading to children to reaching out in so many ways,” Fryson told Hoppy Kercheval on Metronews Talkline. “We think this is a positive part of the King legacy.”
For a decade, WVU has made the commemoration of King’s life and commitment to unity and equal rights a day on rather than a day off, although classes are not held.
“It’s not a day of service. It’s a day of rallying toward the justice of the beloved community Dr. King talked about,” Fryson added.
The civil right leader said, “If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving.”
Fryson is a part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission in West Virginia.
“I think that’s a message for West Virginia. Right now, with all of the challenges, we have to make sure we don’t just talk about the challenges whether that is the challenges we have with our economy, we have to find out a way to keep moving forward,” Fryson added.
WVU students spent time serving Morgantown and Fairmont communities Monday as well.