We often think of movements 

or even advocacy in general as 
something visible. If we can’t see 
it, we don’t feel it’s happening. 
Oftentimes movements are visible 
or at least have some tangible 
components. 
What 
do 
you 

remember about the civil rights 

movement? Probably Rosa Parks 
refusing to be moved from her seat, 
the Montgomery Bus Boycott and 
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have 
a Dream” speech. We hardly ever 
think of all the preparation and 
invisible, deliberate actions that 
fueled the movement. It was not 
simply a series of random events.

When we hear “advocacy,” the 

first things that come to mind are 
usually sit-ins, picket signs, walks 

and other forms of visible, tangible 
protest. The University of Michigan 
is especially known for these. 
These forms are important but 
not always accessible. They often 
require someone in a position of 
power or with the physical ability 
to spearhead them. So what about 
other forms of advocacy, what 
about invisible protest?

You might be wondering how 

any change could come to be with 

invisible 
advocacy. 
Invisibility 

doesn’t mean that no actions are 
taken but maybe those actions 
appear minuscule, yet they add 
up. To me, it means choosing NOT 
to do something and rather to do 
something else. By that definition, it 
is the other half of visible protest. It 
is the decision to not support causes 
we are against. The decision to not 
use violence. The decision to not 
give our time, energy or money to 
corrupt businesses. These decisions 
can be just as powerful as their 
counterparts. 
Especially, 
when 

they are given the same weight. 
What I mean is, often times people 
are called out for not being active 
enough, for not attending the sit-
ins, walks or other protests. I don’t 
think that’s fair. It doesn’t consider 

When it comes to creating 

change in the world, Hill 
Harper, 
an 
award-winning 

actor, best-selling author and 
philanthropist, says “power is 
the people.”

On Monday morning, Harper 

delivered the annual Reverend 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Symposium 
keynote 
speech 

at the University of Michigan. 
Speaking to hundreds gathered 

at Hill Auditorium, Harper 
urged the audience to consider 
this phrase when aiming to 
make lasting change. 

Harper 
was 
also 

accompanied 
by 
Aisha 

Fukushima, the founder of 
RAPtivism 
(Rap 
Activism), 

a hip-hop project that aims 
to 
amplify 
global 
efforts 

for 
freedom 
and 
justice. 

Fukushima 
reflected 
upon 

Harper’s message, as well as 
the 
symposium’s 
theme 
of 

“The Fierce Urgency of Now” 
in her opening and closing 

performances, which focused 
on current social justice issues 
in Michigan and worldwide.

Organized 
by 
the 
Rev. 

Dr. 
Martin 
Luther 
King, 

Jr. 
Symposium 
Planning 

Committee and the Office 
of 
Academic 
Multicultural 

Initiatives, 
the 
symposium 

honors the life and legacy of 
Martin Luther King Jr.

University President Mark 

Schlissel said the symposium 
intends to highlight the values 
taught by Dr. King as well as the 

University 
of 
Michigan 

President Mark Schlissel was 
honored Monday evening as one of 
four recipients of the Let Freedom 
Ring Award at the Cobo Center in 
Detroit. The award was presented 
by the Rainbow PUSH Automotive 
Project, an organization founded 
by civil rights activist Rev. Jesse 
Jackson that seeks to promote 
participation by people of color in 

the economic growth of the global 
automotive industry.

Rainbow 
PUSH 
selected 

Schlissel as an honoree for making 
college more affordable through 
the implementation of the Go Blue 
Guarantee, as well as his strategic 
plan on diversity, equity and 
inclusion.

Schlissel’s tenure has been 

rocked by campus controversy on 
race in particular, after an uptick 
in racist incidents and resulting 
student protest across campus.

Upon accepting his award, 

Schlissel 
also 
related 
the 

University’s 
work 
to 
improve 

education and college affordability 
to the work of Martin Luther 
King Jr., highlighting the value of 
inclusivity on campus and within 
the 
administration. 
As 
such, 

Schlissel said he hopes the Go 
Blue Guarantee offers more equal 
opportunity to all.

“The University of Michigan is 

proud to embrace both the quality 
and morality of education that 
Dr. King championed,” Schlissel 
said. “We want all of Michigan’s 
talented students to know that if 
they work hard and study that a U 
of M education is not out of reach 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, January 16, 2018

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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 56
©2018 The Michigan Daily

N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Invisible activism: The 
labor driving movements

DARBY STIPE/Daily
DARBY STIPE/Daily
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily

King’s activism was unpopular throughout his 
life. How will we continue his quest for justice?

Every year since 1986, we, 

as a nation, have celebrated 
Martin Luther King Jr. Day on 
the third Monday of January. 

Martin 
Luther 
King 
Jr. 
is 

viewed as the architect of racial 
harmony in this country, and 
not many figures in our history 
are revered more. Not long after 
King’s death were legislatures 
and prominent leaders of the 
civil rights movement calling 
for 
a 
national 
holiday 
to 

commemorate his work and life. 
However, the idea that King 
should be celebrated for his 
contributions to society was one 
that was polarizing along racial 
lines. After years of debate and 
defeat, in 1983, President Ronald 

Reagan signed a bill making 
Martin Luther King Jr. Day a 
national holiday. Now, students 
get a day off from school, leaders 
participate in acts of service 
to marginalized communities 
and social media is abuzz with 
various quotes. Yet, many times 
the full story of King is not told 
or remembered, in favor of one 
that is more convenient.

King’s teachings, like that 

of Jesus (and other religious 
figures), are easiest to digest 
when we accept those that do 
not make us uncomfortable, 

while ignoring those that do. 
As a society we have decided 
that a whitewashed King is 
his only palatable version. We 
proclaim his words that evoke 
positive emotion, such as this 
one given in a sermon on loving 
your enemies: “Darkness cannot 
drive out darkness: Only light 
can do that. Hate cannot drive 
out hate: Only love can do 
that.” Yet, it is still important 
to celebrate the fact that King 
called for resistance when it was 
necessary, like in this particular 
instance: “Our only hope today 

lies in our ability to recapture 
the revolutionary spirit and go 
out into a sometimes hostile 
world 
declaring 
eternal 

hostility to poverty, racism, and 
militarism.”

Remember that King was a 

culture shifter. His mission was 
to alter the status quo, a task 
that is inherently disruptive. We 
must remind ourselves that the 
universally loved and admired 
man that today stands over 
Washington, D.C. in stone as a 
national monument, was once 
a controversial figure. Public 

opinion polling suggests that 
most Americans viewed King 
as a menace to the social fabric. 
However, he persisted with 
his peaceful protest and civil 
disobedience because it was just, 
irrespective of popularity. In 
the same light, modern protests 
of injustice that are villainized 
by President Trump, reported 
negatively about in the media and 
enjoy low approval amongst the 
populous must continue. NFL 
quarterback Colin Kaepernick 
taking 
a 
knee 
during 
the 

HALIMAT OLANIYAN

MiC Contributor

JULIA FORD

Daily Staff Reporter

JORDYN BAKER & 
 AMARA SHAIKH
Daily Staff Reporters

MICHAEL HEYWARD

MiC Columnist

Harper Hill delivers MLK 
symposium keynote address

Advocacy contains more than instant gratification & protests

Big weekend

Thanks to a pair of last-
second free throws, the 

Michigan basketball team 
narrowly escaped at home.

» Page 1B

michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit

See LEGACY, Page 2A

See ADVOCACY, Page 2A

See KEYNOTE, Page 3A
See AWARD, Page 3A

 Rest in power: 

reflections on Dr. 
King’s true legacy

Schlissel receives diversity 
award admist year of tension

MIC