History News
History Exchange Student Wins USC's Prestigious Martin Luther King Day Social Justice Award
British Exchange Student Receives MLK Social Justice Award
The Basics:
Columbia, SC-- The USC Study Abroad Office is pleased to announce that British exchange student Alex Rutherford received USC’s prestigious Martin Luther King Day Social Justice Award this past Monday. Alex is a History major with a concentration in African American Studies, currently on exchange from Warwick University in Coventry, England. The Social Justice Award is offered to recognize individuals who have exemplified the philosophies of Dr. King through acts of community service, social justice or racial reconciliation.
More Details:
According to the nomination form for the award, its objective is “to recognize individuals who have exemplified the philosophies of Dr. King through random or ongoing acts of community service, social justice or racial reconciliation. Social justice endeavors to work for a world which gives individuals and groups equal treatment and an equal share in the benefits of society. It also can refer to the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within a society.”
Alex was nominated for the Social Justice Award by his Gospel Choir professor, Dr. Carl Wells, for his positive impact on the organization. Alex’s energy and enthusiasm for Gospel Choir have attracted almost ten new members for the semester. Not only is he a vocal advocate for Gospel Choir, he has extensive community service experience, both here in South Carolina and even more so back in London.
His community service efforts are admirably diverse, working with both children and the elderly. He has served as a class mentor, a teacher’s assistant for severely disabled children (mental and physical), and a tutor for children with severe learning difficulties. He has also worked in a senior citizens home and participates actively in church services.
As a history major with a focus on African American studies, Alex has taken numerous courses on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and says he hopes to “ensure social justice just like him” in the future.