WSC students marched to the Majestic Theatre on Jan. 22 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to partake in a free showing of “The Hate U Give,” a movie that deals with modern race relations, police brutality, and economic inequality.

“[The movie is] for people who aren’t racially knowledgeable, so, they could listen to other people’s stories to fix problems that MLK was originally trying to eradicate himself,” freshman Braden Kern said.

Although King and the broader Civil Rights Movement contributed to positive social change, the movie highlights the social inequalities that remain a problem in the United States.

“It showed how ignorant society is to the problems we face with racism,” freshman Allyson Ray said. “Police brutality is also an issue that has been expressed in our society and we need to find a solution towards reducing that.”

Ray believed that the movie was a great representation of spreading love instead of hate in order to progress as a society.

“I think [the movie] was great, it was important to show the students how cruelty can affect someone’s life,” Ray said. “It is important to be kind to one another so we can stop the hatred instead of spreading it.”

The students believed the movie and event were a great way to engage with issues that were important to King, but remain extremely relevant today.

“I feel like Dr. King worked to end segregation to make everyone equal,” freshman Cassie Grell said. “It relates to today because it shows that segregation has not ended.”

Although Wayne is not known for its diversity and therefore some students may not have experience with many issues associated with racism, King’s teaching was not limited to racial equality.

“As a woman, I believe that MLK fought for black lives but also just human rights in general,” freshman Julia Jones said. “The stuff he worked on with others was a cornerstone towards the right path of human rights.”

In the current politically polarized environment, movies like “The Hate U Give” personify issues people of color and other minorities face in less politically charged ways than in partisan news stories.

“I believe that the people of today, no matter their age, need to educate themselves and others on what is really happening,” freshman Samantha Henery said. “You can read a 240-character tweet but that is not the whole story, you’d be amazed how much more you can learn by doing fact checks and research on today’s current problems in the country, including police brutality, immigration, racism, and government powers.”

Jenna Stewart

Brianna Parsons