Mount St. Mary’s University students, faculty and staff will reflect on and honor the life of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on what would have been his 90th birthday with an event titled “A Dream Deferred” at 6 p.m. on January 15 in Knott Auditorium.
The evening will feature a keynote address by and discussion with Richard Lucas III, the Magee Fellow at Yale University’s Dwight Hall Center for Social Justice, which focuses on the intersection of religion, self-reflection and social justice. In pursuit of his Master’s degree at Yale, Lucas is also the William Sloane Coffin Fellow, a full scholarship award given to one student in every incoming class who demonstrates Coffin's prophetic leadership, his passion for social justice, and his critical theological interpretation of the social and political scene.
Lucas, who aspires to harness his belief in the radical power of social justice literacy to transform hearts, minds, communities, policies, and the world as a teacher for freedom. He has spoken at many colleges, conferences, high schools and churches.
In addition, the event, presented by the Center for Student Diversity. will feature a presentation by Vice President for Student Life Bernard Franklin, Ph.D., on “Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights Movement and the Jewish Community.”