January 15, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

Today, we honor and celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on what would have been his 95th birthday. Dr. King’s life was cut short in 1968 before he could realize his dream of achieving equal rights for all Americans. For some members of our campus community, this is history; something that unfolded long before you were born. For others, it is a vivid memory that continues to inspire action and advocacy.

In the more than five decades since Dr. King’s death, we have made notable strides as a nation toward realizing his dream, but we still have a long way to go to ensure the blessings of liberty promised in our founding documents become a reality for every single American, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or national origin. It can be disheartening to feel as though we are fighting the same fight generation after generation, but if we are to create a more perfect union, we must continue to renew our commitment to justice and equality and to center that commitment in our daily lives and actions. We must stand firm, as Dr. King did, against those who seek to limit our freedom of thought, expression, and opportunity. We must remain steadfast in our efforts to confront and vanquish discrimination and hate in all their forms, particularly at a time when we are experiencing an increase in incidents of antisemitic, homophobic, Islamophobic, and racist rhetoric and violence across the country.

I hope you will attend Puget Sound’s 38th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on January 18, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. in Kilworth Memorial Chapel presented by the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity in collaboration with the Swope Endowed Lectures. Our keynote speaker will be Fred Johnson III, Guy Vander Jagt Professor of History at Hope College, whose primary field of study is 19th century history, specifically the American Civil War. Professor Johnson’s lecture, “MLK: The Quintessentially American King,” will challenge us to consider how we are all called to make Dr. King’s dream a reality. Following his address, we will also present Puget Sound’s Keep Living the Dream Award. All are welcome to attend this celebration, where we will reflect on Dr. King’s vision, our shared hope for democracy in the United States, and how we are called to create a more just and equitable society.

As we head into another presidential election year, we are focused more than ever on our mission to prepare our graduates to meet the highest tests of democratic citizenship. Throughout this year, we will provide more opportunities for us to gather as a community in support of this ambitious mission, which will include holding formal lectures and informal conversations; sponsoring voter registration events and offering voter education tools; providing relevant Constitution Day programming; and exploring ways that we can advance and nurture American democracy in the 21st century.

With appreciation for each of you and the values we share as a community,

Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President