Dear members of the campus community,
From 1957 to 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. traveled more than 6 million miles and spoke over 2,500 times to advocate for freedom, justice, and racial equality.
In a speech delivered at New York University in 1961, King said, “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable…Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
One such dedicated individual is Dr. Scott Hancock, keynote speaker for our 39th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, which will be held TONIGHT at 7:00 p.m. in Christ Chapel.
Dr. Hancock serves as Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies here at Gettysburg College. His scholarly interests focus on the African American experience from the mid-17th century to just before the Civil War. He is particularly interested in how black engagement with the law, from small disputes in lower courts to escape via the Underground Railroad, shaped constitutional law, legal ideologies, black identity, and U.S. society.
We trust you have seen the announcements about this event, but today we write to encourage all members of the Gettysburg College community to attend the celebration as we reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. King, and consider how we can advance this vital unfinished work.
Sincerely,
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Janet Morgan Riggs ’77 |
Jeanne J. Arnold |
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President |
Chief Diversity Officer |