Reflecting on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King

Lehigh’s Council for Equity and Community and Faculty (CEC) and Staff of Color Network (FSCN) joined with the Bethlehem Chapter of the NAACP to present a discussion on the highly acclaimed four-hour PBS documentary, Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, on Monday, January 16th – the national holiday set aside to honor Dr. Martin Luther King.

Brief segments of the four-hour documentary were shown to the 80 primarily staff and faculty who gathered in the University Center. The attendees were challenged to engage in small group discussions based on the topics touched on in the documentary.

In And Still I Rise, renowned historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. traced the history of the civil rights movement and progress made over the last half century. He is joined by leading scholars, celebrities, and the activists who played a leading role in that progress.

Biological Sciences Professor and CEC Tri-Chair Jennifer Swann worked with NAACP executive director Esther Lee and members of Lehigh’s FSCN to organize Lehigh’s event specifically for MLK Day – particularly since the university’s MLK Committee has moved to a yearlong slate of events instead of a one-day celebration.

“I’m extremely pleased with the turnout and very happy with the discussions we’re having around the room,” said Swann, who also credited VISIONS consultants Deborah Walker and Thomas Griggs for their work with the Lehigh community on engaging in effective and respectful dialogue.

“The most important MLK celebration of my life”

Participating in one of the small group discussions was James Peterson, associate professor of English and director of Lehigh’s Africana Studies program. Peterson, who appears in interviews in the PBS documentary, had spoken to a group at Princeton University earlier in the day about the role women have played and are playing in social justice efforts over the course of history.

“This is the most important MLK celebration of my life,” he said at the Lehigh discussion. “What MLK stood for in terms of a radical challenge to nation based on the promise of equality is more important now, in a political context, than it has been in any other time of my life.”

His advice to those interested in helping to fulfill King’s promise: “Take President Obama’s words to heart and engage -- wherever you are.”

Many organizations across the country, Peterson said, are “fired up and doing great work. Give them your money, and give them your time. People are galvanized like they’ve never been before. That’s a good thing.”

Earlier in the day, the Bethlehem Chapter of the NAACP hosted a community breakfast at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, which was attended by representatives of Lehigh University, in addition to local clergy, elected officials and community activists.