Dear Campus Community Members,

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. I hope that today we can honor not only Dr. King but the many who alongside him have raised their voices and fought for social justice.

Today presents an opportunity for all of us to make a commitment to keep social justice and anti-racism at the forefront of our engagement with each other in our communities. One of Dr. King speeches that particularly speaks to me as a psychologist was given at Dartmouth College in 1962, in which he explained the term “maladjusted” as someone who cannot accept social norms in society. He stated that he was happy to be “maladjusted” if it means adapting to racism and a society built against him and his people. He further said, “But I say to you my friends, as I move to my conclusion, there are certain things in our nation and in the world which I am proud to be maladjusted and which I hope all men of good-will be maladjusted until the good societies realize. I say very honestly that I never intend to become adjusted to segregation and discrimination”(Dartmouth Speech). I, too, make a commitment to be maladjusted to segregation, discrimination and racism, and I invite the members of the Puget Sound campus community to join me in being proud to be maladjusted to segregation, discrimination, poverty, and racism.

Today we find ourselves struggling to maintain advances in and extend voting rights. As I reflect on this current situation I think of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in March 1965 for voting rights. I know our campus has been recognized for its high voting participation. I want to encourage our campus community members to continue your involvement not only by voting but by protecting voting rights for all citizens.

I hope we can spend at least part of the day reflecting on Dr. King’s legacy and how each of us can continue to work toward achieving an anti-racist society.

I encourage all of you to join us on Tuesday, January 18 at 6:30 pm for the virtual MLK celebration.

Sincerely,

Lorna
Lorna Hernandez Jarvis, Ph.D. (She, Her, Hers)
Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity