In honor of MLK Jr.: Courageous leadership and a clarion call towards social justice and advocacy
January 11, 2024 - Brian Johnson, Ph.D.
The role of young people in the advancement of civil rights cannot be underestimated. During the Children’s Crusade of 1963, over 1,000 young people marched in Birmingham for racial justice. Youths were arrested, spat upon, bitten by police dogs and hosed; however, their peaceful protest ultimately resulted in desegregation and civil rights advancements in Birmingham. Although Dr. King always valued the voice of youth in his quest to advance civil rights, he was initially reluctant to involve young people in protests due to fear of them being harmed.
The outcome of the youth effort during the Children’s Crusade was described as a turning point in Dr. King’s views of the role that youth could play in the advancement of civil rights. In his 1959 address at the Youth March for Integrated Schools, he described young people as individuals “who would not take no for an answer, would not accept double talk and would not accept gradualism.” Those same descriptors capture many of the characteristics that young people possess when it comes to advancing equity within James Madison College and Michigan State University.
Next week marks Michigan State University’s 44th year of a commemorative program for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Highlights of the week’s commemorative activities will include a student leadership conference featuring The Three Doctors, a virtual collaborative tour with Morehouse College of historical MLK landmarks in Atlanta, an ecumenical service and a commemorative march.
This year’s theme “Courageous Leadership and an Unwavering Commitment to Civil Rights, Equity, and Social Justice,” serves as a clarion reminder regarding the role that we all play in advancing social justice within Michigan State University and our larger world. In alignment with Dr. King’s commitment to the importance of youth and the advancement of civil rights, many of the events will be student-led. Among next week’s events will be a community dinner where Donovan Fobbs, a first-year student in JMC, will serve as a student keynote speaker. His speech will focus on Dr. King’s sermon, “Tough Mind, Tender Heart.”
“I chose to write my speech based on this sermon because I believes it reveals a lot about his character and mentality. It sheds light on an MLK that is left out by media and history books,” said Fobbs.
“MLK once said that ‘we need to move into a new era and that era is one of radical revolution.’ This revolutionary side of Dr. King has inspired me to be a better citizen, student and leader. Dr. King’s nonviolent philosophy and mentality had a fierce side that has taught me that it is not always enough to change the minds of a few; some problems demand that you upend and change the entire political, economic and social structure of an institution or power,” said Fobbs.
To attend this year’s community dinner and to hear more about how Dr. King has inspired Donovan to advance social justice, please register here.
Courageous leadership manifests itself in many ways. Realizing that no act is too large or too small to make a positive change, I encourage you to determine how you can best promote social advancement within your spaces. I look forward to joining you in next week’s Dr. King commemorative activities and also look forward to the long-term, social justice work ahead.
Brian Johnson
Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion