Students and families lit up the night at BYU’s Walk of Life event, honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
Hosted by the Multicultural Student Services, the event began with a candle-lit walk from the Marriott Center tunnel to the Wilkinson Center. BYU's Rhythm N’ Soul Collective Gospel Choir lead the walk and filled the night with songs of power and peace, their voices echoing across campus.
Moises Aguirre, director of Multicultural Student Services, noted that the Walk of Life event has been occurring at BYU for more than 20 years. The candle-lit walk that commenced the event symbolizes BYU students coming together.
“We want to bring the community together in order for everyone to shine their light,” Aguirre said. “Through this walk, we come together as a symbol of belonging and becoming brothers and sisters supporting each other.”
Following the walk, the attendees filed into the Wilkinson Garden Court to hear from the keynote speaker, Sherinah Saasa. Saasa, a current associate professor in the School of Social Work at BYU, shared a message on the importance of using history to propel society forward.
While celebrating Black history and honoring the legacy of one of America’s greatest civil rights leaders, Sassa emphasized the need to confront history holistically.
“We tend to focus on parts of the message that align with the status quo, and we rarely discuss other things that he fought for,” Sassa said.
She reminded attendees that Dr. King’s work extended beyond racial justice, encompassing education equality, poverty alleviation and opposition to international violence. Saasa urged the audience to take meaningful steps toward fulfilling King’s vision.
“Dr. King’s vision was bigger than what the narrative in the media often presents,” Saasa said. “For us to truly honor his legacy, we must educate, advocate and activate.”
One of the attendees of the event, Jessika Cole, had been looking forward to this event for months.
“I came tonight to support everyone who is putting this event on, and to remember the importance of history,” Cole said.
Cole attended the event as the third-place recipient of the 2024 Martin Luther King Day Student Contest. The visual art piece she submitted highlighted the motivation and joy of Martin Luther King Jr.
For Bryanna Larnyoh, director of BYU's Rhythm N’ Soul Collective Gospel Choir, performing at the Walk of Life for the past four years has been a meaningful tradition. This year marks her first time directing the group, an experience she described as deeply significant.
“As a choir director, I had to motivate the choir to sing and commemorate that same energy in order to properly pay respect to Dr. King,” she said.
As one of BYU’s first Black student singing and dancing groups, Larnyoh highlighted the importance of expressing her culture and leaving her mark on the university.
“Being part of the legacy that is Rhythm N’ Soul Collective is really important to me,” Larnyoh said. “I’m leaving a mark on BYU.”
Through art, music and shared experiences, students like Cole and Larnyoh are creating change and fostering a sense of belonging. The Walk of Life reminded attendees that they, too, can draw upon history to inspire progress and unity.