Hamilton President Joan Stewart told students, faculty and staff gathered for the annual Martin Luther King dinner that part of the slain civil rights leader's legacy is service.
"The observance of Martin Luther King Day is not just about listening to speeches," Stewart said, "it's about becoming actively engaged in our communities." Calling King "one of our last great non-elected national figures," she said "His 1960s call to action lives on today and this celebration reminds us that we must be active participants in the legacy."
Approximately 150 students, faculty and staff attended the dinner, which included roundtable discussions of more than a dozen topics, including civil rights and non-violence as a method for change (led by Prof. Esther Kanipe), the music of the 1960s and the civil rights movement (led by Prof. Michael Woods), the role of women in the civil rights movement (led by Prof. Jenny Irons), the anti-racist philosophy of King (led by Prof. Susan Sanchez-Casal), MLK and the anti-war movement of the 1960s (led by Prof. Maurice Isserman) and Martin Luther King's religious vision (led by Chaplain Jeff McArn).
Attendees were invited to take Stewart's words to heart and participate in the Sixth Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Project the following Saturday in the City of Utica.
Below are the complete remarks of President Stewart.
Martin Luther King's most famous statement is that he had a dream. His most enduring legacy is how much of that dream has become reality. That you and I are here together tonight is no small matter. It is not just evidence that we recognize the man; it is also testimony to the power of his dream.
It is fitting that this recognition -- this testimony -- has evolved into a day of service, not just on this campus, but throughout society. Thus it joins a few other great and quintessentially American days that carry a message. On July 4, we celebrate our independence; on Labor Day, we recognize our workers; on Veterans Day, we remember those who have died for us; on Thanksgiving, we give thanks for our very existence as a nation.
Martin Luther King Day is, in a way, about all of those things: celebration of the distance we have come; remembrance of those who have made it possible for us to be what we are today; recognition of abiding needs and challenges.
The observance of Martin Luther King Day is not just about listening to speeches -- it's about becoming actively engaged in our communities. King was one of our last great non-elected national figures. His 1960s call to action lives on today, and this celebration reminds us that we must be active participants in the legacy. We must do more than attend a dinner and discussion: we must address the needs of our society, and do so with love, understanding, empathy and perseverance in the face of difficulties and setbacks.
Let us remember for just a moment where King got his name. The first Martin Luther was another man of action, whose courageous stance 500 years ago changed the world. Luther's 95 theses shook the foundations of institutions and societies and launched a reformation.Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream was posted not to a church door but to our very souls. And there it remains, reminding us that if, as I began by saying, much of what he hoped for has become reality, much remains to be done. Let us not forget the need to combat racial and ethnic persecution and prejudice; to stand up for what is right, at whatever personal cost; to break cycles of violence; to insist on respect for differences among people; to celebrate diversity. Let us at Hamilton, all of us who cherish a diverse intellectual community, re-dedicate ourselves tonight, through service, to the high ideals of Martin Luther King.
