Inaugural Aggies Walk the Walk celebrates Martin Luther King Jr., civic responsibility
Utah State University’s inaugural Aggies Walk the Walk event began on Jan. 11 and will run until Saturday, Jan. 20.
With a focus on civic responsibility and honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and his initiative, the week kicked off with Step Afrika!, a professional step company who performed at the Ellen Eccles Theatre in downtown Logan at 7 p.m. last Thursday.
Isaiah Jones, senior director of USU’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said the goal of the event is to build upon USU’s previous celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrated on Jan. 15.
“Boosting communities and serving others is what Aggies Walk the Walk is all about,” Jones said in a press release about the event. “In order for USU to provide transformative experiences, we need to seek out those who need help, and this is a collaborative effort.”
Jones contributed to the organization of other events put on by the division, including Juneteenth last summer. He started to think more about what other events they could host that had not been done at USU before.
Jones, a University of Notre Dame graduate, said a similar event is hosted annually that highlights efforts made by Notre Dame to promote inclusion on campus. He was inspired and wanted to implement it at Utah State with an “Aggie twist.” From there, he facilitated conversations with other organizations on campus and community partners.
Aggies Walk the Walk has been a collaborative effort in partnership with Cache Community Connections, the William A. Burnard Warming Center and USU Athletics.
Various events will take place throughout the week and will culminate with the Aggies Walk the Walk procession on the Quad on Jan. 20. The walk will take place before the men’s basketball game against Fresno State. Jones said the USU Athletics Department was a major component in organizing this event.
Jones said everyone is encouraged to join in on the walk where participants will hear from leadership across campus. Attendees will be encouraged to also attend the basketball game against Fresno State.
The women’s and men’s basketball teams will be wearing Aggies Walk the Walk t-shirts to warm up before tip-off for their games on Jan. 17 and Jan. 20, respectively. During the men’s game, videos about the event will be played. Video content played at the game was created by Bobby Nash, the associate athletics director for marketing and fan engagement, and his team.
“I think it’s pretty cool that we’re meeting by the east side of Old Main where you see the Abraham Lincoln statues with a very clear connection to our mission and Utah State’s role,” Jones said in an interview conducted over the phone. “Basically, educating the state of Utah in providing access and inclusion across the board, thinking about Martin Luther King’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, and that’s ultimately what we’re arguing for — how we can create spaces that focus on what he called the ‘beloved community.’”
Jones said the processional was inspired by the Luminary walk that takes place during Connections at the beginning of each fall semester.
“Bringing education to everyone is a pillar of land-grant universities, and we are excited to help further Utah State’s goal of building prosperous local and global communities with events that allow for reflection and action,” Jones said in the press release.
According to the press release, “The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is the only federal holiday designated specifically for community service, adding a unique component to help participants make an impact in their communities.”
Jones said the opportunity to host this event presented itself as a way to bring the community together to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and civic service.
“I was thinking about leadership and thinking about the common good of every member of the Aggie family and Cache Valley,” Jones said. “It seemed to me this was a perfect opportunity for us to think about ways to come together with our shared sense of the Aggie family and community in Cache Valley and to provide us with a space where we can reflect on what our civic responsibilities individually, but also collectively, are.”
Other events include community remembrance sponsored by Cache Community Connection, a day of service and a community breakfast. More information on the event schedule can be found at usu.edu/dei/engagement/walk-the-walk.