Florida A&M University (FAMU) students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community gathered on January 12 to celebrate the life and contributions of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
During the annual MLK Convocation on campus, attorney and social justice advocate Benjamin Crump delivered a dynamic speech about the work that must be done to continue fighting injustices. The theme of his speech was inspired by Dr. King’s famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail.”
“My argument today is from a song in the movie “Marshall,” said Crump. “If you don’t stand for something, then it don’t mean nothing. The title of my speech is “Where (do) you stand?”
He added, “Being neutral in the face of injustice is an injustice.”
Crump made an appearance in “Marshall,” a movie about the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. He is the host of the A&E series, “Who Killed Tupac?” and is working on the production of a new show.
Crump’s representation of families who lost loved ones due to gun violence and the use of deadly force by police sparked a national outcry and protests. He acknowledged the work of FAMU students who raised awareness about Trayvon Martin’s death in Sanford, Florida before demonstrators around the country donned hoodies during marches and demonstrations.
Before his speech, Crump thanked several FAMU professors who influenced his career in the courtroom as well as longtime friends who are Rattlers. Crump is a graduate of Florida State University, and his wife is a FAMU alumna. He splits his time between Tallahassee and Los Angeles.