Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-V.T., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., spoke at the South Carolina Statehouse on Jan. 21 at a rally hosted by the NAACP. This year's event aimed to promote adequate public education and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy.
Sanders took the stage and focused on the message of education equality and reminded the audience that King's goal in his "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom" march in 1963 are still demands that Sanders is fighting for today.
“Dr. King and other organizers demanded adequate and integrated education," Sanders said. "This is the wealthiest country in the history of the world. Our children deserve the best pubic education system in the world."
Sanders then praised King for his character and his acknowledgement of the social injustice that he witnessed. He ended his speech with a call to follow in King's footsteps.
"He was a man of unbelievable courage, who understood not only have we got to end racism, but that we need economic justice,” Sanders said.
Booker took the stage to tell the audience that they have the power to change America and that it is up to them to do so.
“Let us swear the oath that in this nation we will finally get the day where we are free at last, and justice will roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream," Booker said.
Audience member Kanaka Ajanaku carried a sign to the grounds inspired by King's "Beyond Vietnam" speech he delivered a year before his assassination.
“He explained to us or analyzed for us, what has to be done in order to bring about the beloved community that he talked about," Ajanaku said. "And that is to combat and eliminate the three evils of white supremacy: institutional racism, poverty and militarism.”
Kamryn Ufford, a first-year political science student, said she believes USC has progressed in its celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., but still thinks there's more to be done.
“White people need to have more difficult conversations with people like their family and their friends,” Ufford said.
Almi Mansarey, a second-year environmental engineering student at Georgia Tech, is a part of the Young Democratic Socialists of America and came to the rally to support Sanders. Mansarey admires King's sacrifices and hopes America can continue his work.
"We should remember that we have to have an active part in changing the things that we don’t like so that we can bring change ourselves to the communities,” Mansarey said.