Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy: Reflections and Learning

This week at IU Indianapolis we are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day through programs and experiences. These activities are designed to encourage learning, reflection, dialogue, and service all of which speak to Dr. King’s life, work, and legacy.

Some of us attended an event at the Madam Walker Legacy Center Monday evening that featured Bakari Sellers. He reminded us that Dr. King’s legacy calls for leadership that listens, learns, and takes responsibility for building systems that serve all.

Yesterday's teach-in at Taylor Hall was an enriching experience, as well. Teach-ins grew out of the freedom struggle led by Dr. King, and Dr. Joseph Tucker Edmonds, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Africana Studies at the School of Liberal Arts, masterfully facilitated the session. He invited the participants to reflect on Dr. King’s messages through three speeches – I Have a Dream, Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence, and I’ve Been to the Mountaintop. Presented in that sequence and listening to the discussion, it is clear that Dr. King’s vision embraced racial integration in America, global equity at the United Nations, and economic justice for sanitation workers in Memphis. His enduring legacy is a call of justice for all people. Our students, faculty, and staff who attended left the room with hope and a sense of purpose. 

Today, we have two activities planned and I hope you will participate. Starting next week, the task force mentioned in my blog from last week will begin their discussions, and I am hopeful that this work will inform the planning of next year’s MLK dinner.   

Honoring Dr. King’s legacy is not something that can be contained in a single day or event. It is ongoing work that calls us to live with purpose, to serve others, and to remain open to growth, even when it is challenging.

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor