DALLAS TOWNSHIP -- MLK Day events took place throughout our area on Monday.
Students at Misericordia University in Luzerne County hosted about 50 students from the Wilkes-Barre area and taught them about who King was and why he matters today
The face of Martin Luther King Jr. came alive as children and young adults teamed up at Misericordia University near Dallas to paint a mural of the civil rights leader.
"He gave people civil rights to do what they want."
It's the first time Misericordia has held an event like this, hosting about 50 children from Wilkes-Barre's Boulevard Townhomes' McGlynn Learning Center, students helping students make crafts, do puzzles, and paint as they learn about Martin Luther King Jr.
"I think that's what it's all about, just being there for one another and showing the younger generations that that's what it's all about. It's all about empathy. It's all about working hard together," said Misericordia senior Andrew Casanova.
"He gave black and white people to come together, not to be separate," said Logan Garcia of Wilkes-Barre.
While the little kids are learning about Martin Luther King Jr., another part of campus is honoring him by holding a volunteer fair, and signing people up to volunteer in the community.
One of the people interested in volunteering is Misericordia freshman Asia Thompson. She's looking into the Ronald McDonald House, an organization that helped her two years ago when her baby was in intensive care. She says the Ronald McDonald House did so much for her, she wants to give back. What better time to sign up than on the MLK Day of Service.
"It kind of reminds people where we're coming from and how you can actually help strengthen a neighborhood or a town or a university," said Misericordia University freshman Asia Thompson.
And find ways to carry out Martin Luther King's dream more than 50 years later.