Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Dear all,

I am writing to reflect on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. As we take this opportunity to remember Dr. King’s contributions and legacy, let us particularly remember that many individuals around him contributed to make Dr. King’s legacy come alive.

Earlier this morning, Vassar hosted an MLK Day breakfast for staff, faculty, and administrators during which members of the Vassar community were recognized for their contributions to our campus. Many of the individuals recognized this morning engage in “invisible work,” that often goes unacknowledged or unappreciated. This morning we had the privilege of recognizing the following people:

Wayne Assing
April Beisaw
Debra Bucher
Lisa Collins
Michael Conlin
Maria Höhn
Gretchen Lieb
Candice Lowe-Swift
Lawrence Mamiya
Wendy Maragh Taylor
Mia Mask
Andrew Meade
Quincy Mills
Jasmine Mitchell
Thomas Pacio
Ismail Rashid
Tracy Sutherland
Shona Tucker
Margaret Vetare
Deneen Williams
Eva Woods
Nicole Wong

Reverend Samuel Speers opened up this morning’s breakfast with a beautiful invocation. Professor Quincy Mills also shared wonderful remarks that underscored the theme of service and humanity as it relates to Dr. King and those who surrounded and support him. Award-winning poet, playwright, and screenwriter Lenelle Moïse, performed a number of selections from her book Haiti Glass.

As I reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and our breakfast on campus this morning, I am reminded of the following quote from Dr. King:

“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.”
—Martin Luther King Jr.

Enjoy the day,

Elizabeth H. Bradley, President
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
@EHBVassar