Penn State President Eric Barron has shared a message with the Penn State community on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death.
On Jan. 21, 1965, 8,000 Penn Staters crammed into Rec Hall to listen to Martin Luther King Jr. speak. He talked about the progress our country had made in the struggle toward racial justice, while emphasizing that we still had a long way to go to solve the problem. He ended with his famous words, “We shall overcome, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
On this anniversary of Dr. King’s tragic death, it can be discouraging to see so many examples of intolerance, hate and discrimination in our nation. But look around. Penn State is a community rich in diversity, and it is a very different place from what Dr. King visited so long ago. His legacy lives on as we strive to create a place where everyone belongs. Our community has an amazing potential for goodness, as well as the courage of our convictions to be a national leader in diversity and inclusion efforts.
Dr. King chose to speak on college campuses because he believed that young people could move this world forward. We still have a long way to go, but the journey toward justice continues. Today and every day, we urge you reflect on Dr. King’s dream, and to play a role in realizing it.