Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
It is my honor to write today as we mark the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ninety-fifth birthday and reflect upon his life, legacy, and enduring impact.
The King Center’s theme for 2024 is ‘It starts with me.’ Dr. King’s life, work, words, and service have greatly influenced me, and I felt his legacy all around me growing up. My mother attended the 1963 March on Washington, and she often talks about how the event was a transformational experience. She recalls the energy of the crowd, which consisted of more than 260,000 people. Dr. King’s powerful oratory skills were on full display as he delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
So much of what Dr. King discussed on that day resonates and rings true in this moment. He could have chosen to share any number of ideas or themes with the quarter million people gathered there. Despite the many challenges he faced, Dr. King chose hope when he spoke of having a dream “in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment.” And he reminded us, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”
Dr. King’s optimism and belief that things can get better – that we, collectively, can be better together – stands out as particularly remarkable. This idea of love and community is a common theme woven throughout his work – a belief and commitment that stands in stark contrast to so much of the discourse in our world today.
Later this week, I will have the honor of giving the keynote address during the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Annual Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. King. In those remarks, I plan to discuss Dr. King’s impact in the context of the 2024 ‘it starts with me’ theme. For me, ‘It starts with me’ is another way of thinking about the concept of everyday leadership – the act of utilizing individual strengths and passions to drive meaningful change. Everyday leaders embrace a life of learning and service, and they utilize their talents to make the world better.
Everyday leaders are especially important during this moment when we are confronting so much suffering, injustice, and polarization. As we consider how each of us can leverage our scholarship, learning, and service to advance social justice, I hope we can also approach this work with empathy and hope. Dr. King once said that “darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” Just two months before he was assassinated, he discussed the importance of continuing to press forward amid disappointments and setbacks, saying “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
It is my infinite hope that as we begin the Spring 2024 semester, our community will continue to come together as we carry on with the hard work of making the world a more just place.
Sincerely,
Lynn Perry Wooten, Ph.D.
President, Simmons University