Carlos Munoz Jr., founder of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, gave his Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration keynote address to observers in the Union Thursday.
Munoz said in his speech that students and people from all nationalities should take advantage of the opportunities to speak out against injustices.
“We are very blessed today to live in the midst of a historic moment of profound crises,” he said. “We must remember what Martin Luther King fought for in his life.”
Munoz said his fight for civil rights was greatly influenced by King.
“Dr. King argued that we must have equal opportunity in education and employment,” Munoz said. “We must do like he did by keeping the spirit of revolution alive.”
Munoz told of his experiences fighting for the rights of his people and asked students to not be afraid to question political leaders.
“We are told it is unpatriotic to criticize our president in times of war,” he said. “The youth need to understand that they do not have to be in the Army to be all they can be.”
Munoz believes if King were alive today, he would also protest the war in Iraq.
“In a speech he gave after the Vietnam War, he said we must first be free before we can help other nations realize freedom,” he said.
U senior Chris Glauser said he agrees with Munoz on many of the issues addressed especially War in Iraq.
“He is a good speaker and very passionate and I agree with him to an extent,” Glauser said. “He felt more strongly about some issues then I did, but it was interesting.”