Scene Spotlight

By T. Esperas and Patricia Ho

Jennifer Bradford

? Class of '05

? English major, musical theater minor

With Martin Luther King, Jr. Day coming up on Jan. 20, Jennifer Bradford has been busy organizing the Multicultural Center's MLK Night. Bradford had served on the MLK Night committee last year before being elected to be the Chairperson this year.

Although Martin Luther King, Jr. has frequently been associated with the African American struggle for equality during the '60s Civil Rights Movement, Bradford emphasizes that King's famous "I have a dream" speech has a broader scope. In her understanding, the spirit behind his legacy involves not only African Americans and is definitely not a thing of the past.

"It wasn't just a dream for black culture, it was a dream for every culture," she said, adding that an invitation to perform was extended to all the groups in the MCC. Members of the Residential Learning Communities Loyola and Xavier will also be performing on MLK Night.

"We introduce some new things without having to throw history in people's faces like 'you did this to us' and just to celebrate it," Bradford said. "It's more about celebrating living in the dream; that we're free; that we have possibilities in front of us; that we're American, whether it's Latin American, Black American or whatever."

Bradford's task of organizing the events was made easier by support from Media Services, professors and especially the other members of the MLK Night committee.

"They are just hauling and doing, especially with ideas," she said. "As long as you are energized and excited about it, we'll be on stage and we'll be energized and excited about it too whether it's two or five hundred."