Having the Courage to Affect Change
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast
January 19, 2004
Welcome
Thank you, Susan, and good morning everyone. I am delighted to welcome you all to today's celebration of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The fact that so many of you - our friends and neighbors from Bridgewater and the surrounding cities and towns - have taken the time to be here with us this morning is a very fitting tribute to one of our nation's greatest champions of equal rights and civil liberties.
Today's large turnout reminds me, too, that the relationship between the college and the region is as strong as ever. All of us who work, study and learn at Bridgewater take great pride in the fact that we are making a positive contribution here in Southeastern Massachusetts. And today, as we come together to reflect on Dr. King's message, I'm happy to tell you that more than seventy of our students, faculty and staff are bringing the power of that message directly into our communities. They are, at this very moment, engaged in volunteer work in the surrounding communities as part of our MLK breakfast celebration.
While this may be the seventeenth year of the MLK breakfast, it is the very first for a new day of service in his honor. Student and faculty participants in the day of service will be building homes, sorting clothes, preparing food baskets, serving hot meals, and creating literacy projects. Along the way, they'll be spending time with the elderly, with single mothers, with the disabled, and with children.
The new semester has not even begun yet, and these students, faculty and staff have already answered the call to service. They'll be spending their day with many of those in greatest need.
They have made this choice because they believe in one of Dr. King's most important ideas... it's also the theme of this morning's breakfast: "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."
Though most of our volunteers may not be here with us in body, we are certainly connected to them by a common spirit. And I know they would appreciate at least a small expression of our gratitude for all of the work they're doing today. Let's give them a round of applause.
It may be a modest beginning for our new day of service, but as many of you know, the MLK celebration here at the college comes from humble roots as well. When I look out at all of you in attendance today, it's frankly hard to believe that this breakfast began seventeen years ago with just a handful of committed souls.
The growing success of this event is due in no small part to the hard work and dedication of the MLK Committee members. I'd like to introduce them to you at this time. Please stand when I call your name. Chairing the committee is the Special Assistant to the President, Susan McCombe. Other members of the committee include: Aida Bruns, Alan Comedy, Eva Gaffney, Andrea Garr-Barnes, Patricia Hennessey, Anna Martin-Jearld, Pamela Reed.
Thank you all for the dedication and hard work in putting together this outstanding event and celebration.
One member of this committee is a co-founder of this event and has served on this committee for her last time. She had the vision seventeen years ago to recognize the importance of celebrating the work of Dr. King with members of the community and campus. Her dedication to social justice and equity has been exemplary and her role in the campus and broader communities in Southeastern Massachusetts has made a significant difference in the quality of life for our region. I offer my never ending gratitude and appreciation to Aida Bruns, a true champion of social justice.
It's fair to say that this day of remembrance has come a long way - just as we've come a long way as a society. And I know that if Dr. King were alive today, he'd be very proud of both the journey we've made together and the plan we hold for the future.
Presentation of the Distinguished Service Award
It is now my distinct pleasure to introduce the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Distinguished Service Award, given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the areas of peace, education, race relations, justice and human rights.
There are few people in the world today who exemplify the cause of social justice more than today's honoree. Like all of the great advocates of change who came before him, his is a character embodied by that most basic - and most elusive - of human strengths: Courage.
The ability to take action in the face of overwhelming threats to one's own well being when an important moral principle is at stake... that's courage.
The commitment to remain steadfast in those beliefs even when allies may be hard to come by and detractors seem so plentiful... that's courage.
The fortitude not to crumble under the weight of the status quo but to gain strength from the hope of a better life that may lie ahead... that's courage.
And never to cease in following through on one's promise to empower others to do the same... that's the definition of courage.
We marvel at the level of courage today's award recipient has demonstrated throughout his entire life. His has been an uphill battle - both personally and professionally - from the beginning. But at every turn, he's opted to continue facing the challenges head-on.
First elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1980, he immediately became an advocate for civil rights and social justice. He has never wavered in his commitment to these principles and continues to advocate at every possible opportunity.
What defines him more than anything else, though, is his ability to speak his mind. He not only stands up for what he believes is just... he is also an outspoken critic of what is not.
Anyone who needs further proof that the vitality and conviction of everything Dr. King stood for is alive and well needn't look any further than right here in Southeastern Massachusetts. This gentleman exemplifies the true meaning of being a public servant.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my high honor to present this year's MLK Distinguished Service Award to a United States Congressman - my friend and colleague - and one of this institution's greatest friends - Representative Barney Frank.
Presentation to Love Divine
At this time I would like to recognize a group of people who have helped us celebrate this event for many years. The members of Love Divine first joined voices as an a cappella choir at the Baptist Church of All Nations in Taunton in 1991.
Since that time they have been sharing their music ministry throughout the region and for many years at this college's Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and Breakfast.
They're here with us today as our guests and we hope that they will be joining us and entertaining us for years to come. Please welcome to the podium the members of Love Divine: Brian Duarte, Angela Skerritt, Natasha Pachebat, Denise Tourinho, and Tracy Silva.
In recognition of the many years they have shared their spiritual gifts through music and praise at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and Breakfast, this citation is presented to Love Divine.
Closing Remarks
Today has been about more than honoring the memory of Dr. King... it's been about reaffirming our individual and collective commitments to improve the world around us, to raise the level of civility in our many personal and professional lives, and to cherish in one another the things that make us unique.
It's also been about a fresh commitment to service. It only seems fitting that this renewed sense of purpose begins at an institution defined by the motto, "not to be ministered unto, but to minister."
And let us be sure, too, that this call to action is rooted not in a sense of simple obligation, but stems entirely from our spiritual and moral commitment to one another. Though often laborious, genuine service to one's community and one's society should never be construed as a chore. It must be something that comes from deep within our souls and brings forth the true essence of who we are.
It takes commitment... it takes perseverance... and it takes courage. But between all of us, we have a tremendous supply of each of these things. And wherever there is commitment, perseverance and courage, there is always hope.
It's a lesson we've learned from Congressman Frank... it's a lesson we are in the midst of learning from our students, faculty and staff busy at work today in the communities around us... and it's a lesson that describes the whole of Dr. King's life.
In one of our nation's greatest tragedies, an assassin's bullet struck Dr. King on April 4, 1968. We gather today to grieve that loss and celebrate his accomplishments. But no one knew better than MLK that dedicating one's life to the betterment of others, and having the courage to stand in the face of injustice, often comes at a sacrifice... occasionally, the greatest sacrifice of all.
Though it may be of little consolation to us as Americans, Dr. King was ready to make that sacrifice. On the night before he was killed, in the very last public speech of his life, MLK addressed a large group of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. I'd like to conclude today's program with a reminder of his final words to all of us, and I quote:
"Well I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop... and I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life... longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. So I'm happy tonight... I'm not worried about anything... I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."
Thank you.
Last Modified: January 22, 2004
