Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 17, 2021

Dear all,

Today is MLK Day, a time of celebration of hope and perseverance despite all odds. One of my favorite quotes from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” I like it because it acknowledges the discontent we endure and still opens us to hope.

More than 55 years ago, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., knew and condemned the health injustices that remain prominent today. At a press conference in Chicago in March of 1966, he said, “Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman.” He was commenting on the rampant racial discrimination in Chicago hospitals.

Today, Dr. King’s words still ring true as we battle with COVID-19 and see tremendous inequities in disease burden and access to needed treatment, with Black adults nearly twice as likely as White adults to die from COVID-19.

All are invited to a virtual celebration this morning at 9:15 a.m.–10:00 a.m. to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy with other members of the campus community. 
Virtual celebration event recording

On this MLK Day, as we struggle with multiple crises including but not limited to COVID-19, may we still be inspired as we return to our spring semester, endorsing Dr. King’s advice to never lose infinite hope.

Happy MLK Day.

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