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Dear ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Community,

On Monday, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University will join our nation in celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an extraordinary American who championed civil rights and peacefully advocated for all-inclusive equality.

When I reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, I am reminded of the importance of courage, allyship, and service to others. He said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?" His dedication and sacrifice for justice and inclusion continue to be an example for us all more than 50 years later.

During his visit to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s campus in December of 1959, a few years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “separate, but equal” was unconstitutional, Dr. King urged our nation to “take a determined stand …and make first-class citizenship a reality for all of the people of this nation.” He understood the importance of equity and the positive impact a quality education has on society and the human condition.

Less than five years following Dr. King’s visit, hundreds of brave young people on the campus of Western College, now a part of our Oxford campus, joined the movement for justice during the summer of 1964. They committed their time and, in some cases, sacrificed their lives for the rights of others.

Dr. King’s legacy and the legacy of the Freedom Summer activists continue to inspire us to champion against continued injustices. This is why we must continue to help advance their message of equality and build a more just and equitable society. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University continues to honor their legacy through our values and actions, our code of Love and Honor, and our practice of “inclusive excellence.”

As we honor Dr. King’s legacy, our mission of inclusive excellence commits us to continue elevating the dignity and well-being of every person. We continue to improve our efforts to build a more inclusive community for all students, faculty, and staff and to infuse DEI into every facet of this institution. We strive to ensure that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s work lives on throughout our campuses daily.

Let us continue to be inspired by Dr. King’s words and choose service, compassion, courage, collaboration, and equity as we define what it means to act with Love and Honor.

Please join ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú and the Oxford community in celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 10 a.m. on Jan. 16 at the Shriver Center in the John Dolibois Room on the Oxford Campus. Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, our keynote speaker, will speak on “I Dare You to Be the Dream!” at this collaborative  with the City of Oxford and NAACP Oxford Chapter.

Love and Honor,
Greg Crawford