Collegian BakariK e ySellers note Speaker T he Cameron University
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An MLK Day discussion
Monday, February 4, 2019
Drue Watkins Managing Editor
From 2:30 – 3:30 p.m., Jan. 21, in the CETES Conference Center, Cameron University celebrated Martin Luther King (MLK) Day by hosting a Panel Discussion featuring American attorney—and CNN political analyst—Bakari Sellers as the Keynote Speaker. Sellers represented South Carolina’s 90th district in the lower house of the state legislature from 2006 to 2014, becoming the youngest African-American politician in the United States at age 22. The panel—alongside Sellers— consisted of representatives from both Lawton Public Schools (LPS) and Cameron University, with the general discussions revolving around race relations in the country, the state of education in
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the Education complex beyond what most people Department, figure, especially over the topic of I notice I’m teachers’ pay, which she agreed was often the only too low. person of “It’s easy enough to say fire color in there,” individuals up at the top and help she said. “It’s disperse that income for the other good of us to educators in the state,” she said, continue to get “but it’s so much more intricate more word out than all that. Every piece has a there about the purpose—an important purpose— opportunities and we can’t forgo one thing to try available. We and benefit another. can see things “We have great teachers here, changing for even if funding is a lower priority. the better, and We will need to work on getting we have to keep more teachers to want to come moving in that here, and to stay here after they direction.” graduate.” Assistant Midway through the discussion, Superintendent the talk shifted toward the of Educational importance of MLK Day and what Services Dr. it means to the country. Jamie Polk Jones said the day is a reminder. Lawton and Oklahoma, improving represented “The reason this day is still children’s lives through active the LPS viewpoint during the around and is still recognized is so parenting, the American justice discussion and said she admired the events that caused it are never system and the importance of MLK Jones’ spirit. forgotten,” she said. “It’s so we never Day. “This is an extremely bright repeat it, and so we understand Free and open to the public, young woman,” she said. “I just the sacrifices of those who gave the organizers of the event want to hire you [Jones] right now.” everything for it.” encouraged attendees to write down Continuing off the topic of Sellers arrived during this questions prior to the start of the Cameron’s diversity, Polk said the talking-point and said MLK Day discussion—questions that would role of parenting is crucial for the is a great holiday and a point of be answered all throughout the development of young students— progress, but there is still much hour-long discourse. all the way to college life. further to go for the country. Junior English Education major “Parents managing an active and “It’s easy enough for people to Djimon Jones sat with the panel, responsible level of involvement come out and praise Dr. King on bringing a student’s perspective to in the lives of their children can this one day,” he said, “but what the questions asked. healthily impact their success for about all the other days in the year? During the dialogue on the future,” she said. “The state of This shouldn’t be the one day that how Cameron approaches education rests not just with the matters. There are a lifetime of representation, Jones spoke schools and funding, but with the problems in the country, and one about the importance of diversity sort of young minds who come into day cannot solve them all.” on campus and said that it’s those doors. A lot of work and encouraging to see the direction responsibility is built at home, the university is taking toward far before kids arrive at school.” See BAKARI SELLERS accomplishing its goal of inclusion. Polk also said the state of Page 2 “When I enter my classes in education in Oklahoma is
Photos by Drue Watkins
Sharing thoughts: (Left to right) Dr. Jamie Polk, Junior Djimon Jones, Dr. Jennifer Dennis and Keynote speaker Bakari Sellers talk about the different social aspects affecting the United States, as well as the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The panel discussion lasted for one hour, tackling topics such as race relations, education, parenting and the justice system.
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