Dear readers,

As student members of the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration planning team, we are excited to welcome you to this year’s MLK Celebration on Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Comedian and author Trevor Noah will join us in exploring the theme for this year’s event: “The Global Impact of Civil Rights.” We encourage all students to honor Dr. King, interact with Trevor Noah and attend this extraordinary occasion!

Not only is Trevor Noah one of the world’s most popular television personalities, but his recent memoir, “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” has proven to be a powerful window into the global fight for civil rights. As Noah discusses his childhood under apartheid, we are compelled to consider our own questions surrounding identity, belonging, achievement and adversity.

Few people spoke more influentially about those questions than did Martin Luther King Jr. The annual MLK Celebration is intended to commemorate the life and legacy of a citizen who brought hope, healing and inspiration to our world. This tradition — now in its 34th year — is a testament to Syracuse University’s long and proud relationship with Dr. King, who stood and spoke on campus two times in the 1960s. Dr. King spoke in Sims Hall about his dream that education will advance the pursuit of civil rights — a dream the MLK Celebration strives to embody. By celebrating Dr. King on a campus with students, staff and faculty from around the world, we recognize our duty to understand the global impact of the civil rights movement. And we consider how we may follow Dr. King’s steps from Sims Hall to a lifetime of fighting for hope and healing.

On Jan. 27 in the Carrier Dome we will join together to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. For information on tickets ($5 for students), please visit mlk.syr.edu. Those who require assistance with the cost of tickets can email the planning team at chapel@syr.edu.

We will welcome Trevor Noah to our campus some 50 years after we welcomed Dr. King. Together we can act to affirm our common humanity and work toward a loving community. We hope you will join us!

With excitement,

Student Committee of the 34th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Noah Goldmann ‘21

Deresha Hayles ‘19
Stacy Omosa ‘20
Junjie Ren ‘20

Ashley Laird ‘20

Jenniviv Bansah ‘22

Juwan Thompson ‘18, G’19

Published on January 23, 2019 at 7:09 pm