To the campus community:

In his Letter From a Birmingham Jail,  The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King wrote:

"Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends." --from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s April 16, 1963 "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" to local clergy

On this day we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., born on January 15, 1929. One of the most celebrated civil rights leaders in our history, his commitment to nonviolence did not exclude the need to create constructive nonviolent tension in the pursuit of "beloved community"--recognizing, as he did, that privileged groups rarely give up their privilege willingly. In the first violent weeks of 2021, Dr. King's words are more salient and compelling than ever.

We invite you to join at us today at 4 p.m. via  Zoom for this year's MLK Day lecture, featuring Dr. Bettina Love, co-sponsored by Identity Studies, Education, Religion, Paideia, and the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement.

In addition, we invite you to join us in community for a series of live, virtual events created to  illuminate current events with historical perspectives. In February, we will introduce and focus on the incisive thinking and writing of author and activist James Baldwin. On February 15,  Professor Novian Whitsett will give a talk that explores Baldwin’s writing on race in America.


Sincerely,

President Jenifer K. Ward and Vice President Lisa Scott