AACC offered a class about the legacy and relevance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the CALT Building on Oct. 20 to a packed audience of students, faculty and community members.

The lecture, by AACC history professor Dr. Lester Brooks and longtime civil rights activist Carl Snowden, was part of the college’s “History and Heritage” series, which offers non-credit history courses on topics like the history of Annapolis and the life of Frederick Douglass.

Attendees paid $49 to attend the four-hour October class, “The Life and Impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” which covered the history of King’s life and the conspiracy theories surrounding his death.

Snowden told the audience that society should not send a message to black people saying, “Keep your mouth shut and survive.”

“The attitude we should have is, ‘We’re not accepting that; we’re not going to treat our children disrespectfully,’” Snowden said.

AACC students later told Campus Current they are in favor of having more classes like this on campus.

“There should be more classes like this with historical figures that made a significant difference in society,” third-year journalism student Vincent Moreland said.

“A [permanent] class about racial injustices would be incredible for the student body at AACC,” Student Government Association President Jacob Smith said.

Students can register for “History and Heritage” classes at www.aacc.edu.