Honoring the Legacy of Dr. King

Against a backdrop of ongoing national uncertainty, Seattle University honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an event to commemorate his legacy. The annual gathering, presented by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, also featured a keynote address by Professor Randall Kennedy of Harvard University.

Professor Kennedy, who previously served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, spoke on the theme, “Is It Worthwhile to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?”

The overwhelming sentiment from the crowd was, “Well, yeah, of course we should.” Kennedy, a Rhodes Scholar and Yale Law School grad, challenged his audience by asking why. Just what it is about Dr. King’s legacy and life that makes it worth an annual national remembrance.

One significant reason is the struggle Dr. King worked for continues. It’s not just history but rather it is something every generation has been called to address in their own way. What do we take a stand for, how do we do it and why. While the “I Have a Dream” speech, the Letter from the Birmingham Jail and other seminal moments of Dr. King’s life are well-known historical events, they are just steps along what has been a long and winding road.

Dr. King’s willingness to stand up for rights assured by law is another factor that makes celebrating his life worthwhile. Highlighting the courage and conviction King and his contemporaries showed in the fight for civil rights provides both a blueprint and inspiration for others to push forward, exercise their rights and take risks challenging those who deny those rights.

In short, it’s still worth commemorating MLK Jr. Day because his work and teachings are as relevant today as they were in his time.

The event also included a violin performance from local high school student, Laila West, who is mentored by Seattle University Professor Dr. Quinton Morris, who also spoke at the event, along with President Eduardo Peñalver and Natasha Martin, JD, vice president of diversity & inclusion and an associate professor of law.