WOHS grad helps spark full-day observance of MLK Jr. Day at her university

NOTRE DAME, IN — On Aug. 23, the student government at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana announced the university’s full observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a school holiday. The announcement followed a university senate resolution calling for the institution to recognize the federal holiday with a full day of observance.

The effort toward a full day observance of the holiday was led by senior Cassidy Ferrell, who is director of student empowerment, and junior Eliza Smith, who wrote the senate resolution; the resolution passed through the student senate and the Campus Life Council. Ferrell is a 2018 graduate of West Orange High School.

Following this, Ferrelll and Smith partnered with former Vice President of Student Affairs Erin Hoffmann Harding in an effort to secure administrative approval. They continued advocacy efforts with Hoffmann Harding’s successor, the Rev. Gerard Olinger.

The initial lack of response by the administration led to the creation of the MLK Jr. Day Coalition, led by Ferrell, Smith and several other students. The coalition’s efforts to gain support included a letter to the editor of the university newspaper, university President Rev. John I. Jenkins and Provost Marie Lynn Miranda. The coalition received much attention through the creation of an Instagram campaign, and by enlisting the support of alumni, department heads and historically black clubs on campus. Ferrell and Smith obtained hundreds of signatures on the open letter advocating for a full-day recognition of MLK Jr. Day.

“The issues at Notre Dame regarding diversity and inclusion and the needs of students of color require much student support to garner university attention. When we work together as a unit, we are able to accomplish our pursuits of fostering a more inclusive campus,” Ferrell said. “The need for unity is something we kept top of mind when we started the coalition.”

Ultimately, Olinger engaged the University Undergraduate Council to place the MLK Jr. Day resolution on its voting calendar. The council passed the resolution unanimously.

Ferrell and Smith plan to organize student-led programming around MLK Jr. Day. The determined pair noted the importance of following through, and creating connections after the resolution passed, in order to truly enact change.

“The lack of a full observance of MLK Jr. Day is something I’ve always felt off about when talking to diverse students and potential new students about diversity or inclusion on campus,” Smith said.

With MLK Jr. Day’s full observance at the University of Notre Dame, Ferrell said she and her peers are “hoping students will be able to have a reflection period on that day — as two hours, we thought, wasn’t a significant enough time for students to actually think about diversity, about MLK Jr.’s work, and about civil and human rights on campus.”

“We sincerely appreciate Father Olinger for his support and advocacy during this whole process,” Ferrell said.

  Martin Luther King Jr., West Orange High School