It’s been more than 30 years since the University of Michigan began celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through our annual MLK Symposium.
In 1986, U-M’s Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives first began coordinating the celebration. Over the years, social activists and leaders including Harry Belafonte, Nontombi Naomi Tutu (daughter of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu), Caesar Chavez, Shirley Chisolm, and Edward James Olmos have delivered memorable keynote addresses.
This year’s celebration falls on the heels of the launch of the university’s historic campuswide diversity, equity and inclusion five-year strategic plan.
The initiative, launched this past fall, is a multidimensional approach aimed at creating an inclusive and equitable campus; recruiting, retaining and developing a diverse university community; and supporting innovation and inclusive scholarship and teaching. As part of the commitment, the university has designated $85 million in new resources over the next five years to implement the initiatives in the plans.
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For us, the plan is much more than a symbolic effort to be more diverse, equitable and inclusive as an institution. It’s about increasing and expanding opportunities for all people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, socioeconomic status and the many other differences that make us all unique.
As we move forward with the implementation of the strategic plan, the MLK Symposium provides the perfect opportunity for our community to engage in this process on an even deeper level.
Over the course of several weeks in January and February, the MLK Symposium will showcase nearly 40 lectures, live performances, exhibits, workshops and community service projects sponsored by different academic and non-academic units, including student and staff organizations, and community groups. The events will all focus on topics that were relevant to the life King lived and the causes for which he fought.
The 2017 symposium theme is Sounds of Change — sounds associated with social activism including protests, chants and shouts, and even the absence of sound, including silence and silent protests.
As an opportunity to experience a deeper understanding of King’s longtime fight for equality and justice, I encourage all members of our community to take part in this year’s celebration.
As King said in his February 1968 speech “A Proper Sense of Priorities”: “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.”
So, as we embrace this year’s symposium theme, we must continue to recognize that expanding opportunities — especially for people who have been historically denied them — is what is right, and the best way for this university to reach its full potential as a public institution of higher education.
Nearly 50 years after King’s death, there is still an ongoing battle to uphold the cornerstone of his fight for justice and equality. While much has been accomplished during this time, it is equally important to realize that there is still much work to be done moving forward.
As the university’s chief diversity officer, I am honored to be charged with the task of carrying out this, and so many other important efforts.
— Robert Sellers, vice provost for equity and inclusion, and chief diversity officer
